Sleeper
by Masked Maiden
Summary: Usagi and Mamoru receive some great news: they're having a baby. But the happiness is fleeting, for Earth faces its most vile enemy: Sleeper. Through an international cast and settings, this story tells of Earth's last days before the Great Freeze.
1. Chapter One: Good News

Disclaimers and author's notes are at the end of chapter one. 

  
**Sleeper  
By: Masked Maiden  
Prologue: 1999**

  
In essence, it was the most unusual place for a business meeting. Yet because of their surroundings, they were merely an addition to the madness. New York City's Time Square was packed with multitudes of people from all creeds, colors, and backgrounds, celebrating the coming new millennium. They cheered and grew ever more restless as the clock started to count down the remaining ten minutes of the 20th century.  


Then there were the two businessmen, the ones no one thought about noticing. They stood on a patio adjoined to a hotel suite on the top floor, observing the celebration going on below them.  


One man offered his associate a glass, which he accepted. No toast was made, not even a silent resolution. The crowd's roar was all that existed until the men took their drinks into their luxurious room and closed the glass-paned doors behind them.  


"These Americans are so easily amused," spoke the associate, a slender and short middle-aged physician who was a native of China. His English was nearly perfect, though his accent was distinctly heard with his tendency to pronounce every vowel. "They stand there, crammed in the streets, make noise, and watch a gaudy ball fall. It's pathetic."   


"Could we please return to the matters at hand, Dr. Li?" the second businessman requested. He set his glass down on the bar and filled it with champagne once more. He sat down on a barstool and waited for his associate to respond.  


Dr. Hu Yen Li hid his disdain towards Stephen Lehmkuhl. The man was a South African with ancestral roots from Europe that dated back to the 1600s. His intentions were as mysterious as his demeanor, but Hu Yen wasn't the least bit concerned. There was no need to be concerned. If this pale-skinned, moderately bulky and balding foreigner could show off his riches with his $2500 suit, his expensive champagne, and this hotel suite fit for royalty, then he was of importance to Hu Yen. It was about the money – who had it and who wanted to spend it. Always. Nothing more and nothing less.   


"Of course, Dr. Lehmkuhl," Hu Yen replied. "I will permit you to have full access to one of my laboratories in China for 20 million American dollars. 10 million in my account by next week and 10 million once your crew has settled in."   


Stephen agreed to the conditions. "Consider it done." 

"Excellent, but might I ask a question?"  


"Of course."  


"What do you intend to use my laboratory for?"  


Stephen downed the last drop of his champagne and set his glass on the bar. He arose from his seat and walked toward the Chinese man, keeping direct eye contact as he did so.  


"I will not tell you," Stephen pointed his finger. "My purpose for using your laboratory is none of your business." 

  
Hu Yen made no attempt to disguise his anger. "I see," he snorted. "And what if I were to cancel our transaction because I felt I had the right to know your intentions?" 

  
"You wouldn't. You're desperate for the money, which will help further your own research projects and keep your doors from closing. But if you were to do such a thing, I have many friends." Stephen pointed to the glass doors leading to the patio. "The Americans are very big on human rights. Perhaps I should inform the Army of God about your chain of women's clinics that are suspiciously linked to your research labs and to several labs in Oregon and Vermont." 

  
Hu Yen laughed in Stephen's face and waved his threat away. "I thought you were an educated man," he derided. "You are suggesting that the Chinese government should close their abortion clinics because a few fanatics on the other side of the world want it to happen? My country is smarter than that. It would never work." 

  
"Oh, I see Then perhaps this will change your mind."  


In one swift movement of the hand Stephen produced a handgun from the back of his pants and pressed the barrel against Hu Yen's forehead. The Asian man now shook with fear for his life as he kept his wide eyes on the handheld weapon. He should have known from the beginning that this man was not to be trusted. But he was in too deep now and he needed the money.  


"I don't care how much it costs," Stephen snarled, as if reading Hu Yen's mind. "Double the fee. Triple is if you so desire to. Just stay out of my way. What I would like to use your laboratory for is my business and my business only. Is that clear, Dr. Li?"   


Hu Yen vigorously nodded. "H-How long do you need it?" he inquired.  


In a maddening motion Stephen raised his handgun to the ceiling and fired a shot as the fireworks from out started to explode. Patches of powdery fixture fell to the floor like racing sparks. Hu Yen covered his ears at the contiguous sounds, the fireworks, the gunshot, and the crowd at Time Square. It all seemed to blend into one accursed roar.  


Stephen jerked one hand from Hu Yen's ear and yelled into it, "That is also something you do not need to know!"  


Hu Yen wriggled away from Stephen's grasp and stepped back until there was an acceptable amount of space between the two of them. "Fine!" he snapped. "But I raise the price to 60 million!"  


"Done."  


"And I want it all by next week."  


"Now you're pushing it, Dr. Li."  


"I don't care! No money, no laboratory! Have 60 million in my account by next week or the deal is off!" The South African shrugged. "Have it your way." He tucked his gun inside his suit jacket and showed Hu Yen to the door. Their meeting was now adjourned.  


Before the Asian physician left Stephen cordially bowed and offered his hand. Hu Yen stared at him with narrow, scornful eyes for a moment before shaking his hand. "I better not regret this," he told his associate.  


"Do not worry," Stephen said to Hu Yen. "When all of this is over you will not have time for any regrets."  


======  


End of Prologue  


* * *

  
Sleeper  
By: Masked Maiden  
Chapter One: Good News  


Four Years Later  
Fall, 2004  


It was an odd sensation. The erupting chaos surrounded Dr. Furuhata Motoki, and yet he stood in stillness. It was as if he were detached from the world, watching everything happen on a grand stage as he sat on a star in the abyss of the universe. Then a surge of emotions swelled in his heart and Motoki was back in reality. He felt incompetent, unprepared for something that wasn't predicted or even thought of. It didn't matter, however, if he was ready or not. Devastation struck Tokyo that afternoon, and Tokyo Memorial Hospital was in the center of it all.  


The trauma center at Memorial had been informed minutes ago that a 20-car pile up had occurred only four blocks away from the hospital. A road-raged driver swerved to the right lane to pass a car in front of him and collided into a charter bus filled with members of a high school marching band headed for a competition. Neighboring medical centers would relieve Memorial as much as they possibly could, but most of the casualties would be transported by ambulance to Memorial's facilities. There was little time to warn the staff members. Fire alarms were initiated throughout the hospital. The switchboard operator made the announcement of a Code Blue over the intercom and for the occupants in other departments to remain stationed unless told otherwise. Each member of the emergency medical staff scurried in an "orderly" fashion to their positions. And among the staff was Motoki, a third year resident at the hospital. He stood outside the emergency department in the harsh winds, waiting with several other physicians and nurses for the first batch of casualties to arrive.  


A nurse happened to ask, "Where is Dr. Chiba?"  


At that very moment two ambulances arrived at Memorial. The driver of one of the ambulances hopped out and hurried to assist her co-workers in the back of the vehicle. The doors flung open and the paramedics burst forth. Motoki and the chief physician for the emergency department rushed over to help. The gurney was lowered to the ground. Motoki immediately recognized the patient.  


"Oh God"  


It was Mamoru.  


One of the paramedics started rambling off medical jargon as he and his co-workers wheeled the patient into the emergency room. "Patient is an unresponsive 28-year-old male involved in an MVA with seat belt on. Severe head trauma due to massive concussion with noted skull deformations. There's lot of bruising and scrapes and deformities noted on the ribs along with a deformity of the right brachial. BP is 165 over 80, heart is tachy, Glasgow level of two and pulse/ox of 96 with slight hyperventilation."  


To Motoki the hastened information nearly went through one ear and out the other. He was frozen in space once more as he stared at his best friend, Mamoru, who must have been coming back to the hospital after his lunch break. When the road-raged driver crashed into the bus, it caused a chain reaction. Mamoru and 18 other drivers crashed as well. Now Mamoru was strapped to the flat board, a brace around his neck to prevent mobilization in case of spinal injuries. A mask covered his mouth as the nurse pumped a plastic bag attached to it to steady his breathing. And the blood the blood seemed to be coming from everywhere, a flowing red stream running down the side of his head and stains all over his white and ripped shirt. It was a nightmare come to life.   


And then like popping a balloon, Motoki was back in reality once more. "Any signs of internal bleeding?" he asked one of the paramedics. 

"It's possible, but none that we could tell."  


"All right." He addressed the RN next to him. "Red-tag him, have a CBC, chem. 7 and type/cross-match ordered along with an IV solution and O negative blood. Also I want head, chest, and neck films taken to check for any more deformities. Let's intubate him and check for any signs of internal bleeding. Which trauma rooms are open?"  


A nurse informed, "Room Three is open."  


"Then let's wheel him in."  


As the paramedics left, the two doctors and two nurses each took a corner of the gurney and wheeled their patient into the closest trauma room that was vacant. One the count of three they lifted unconscious Mamoru from the gurney to the table and unstrapped him, though the neck brace remained.   


30 long and unproductive minutes passed. The nurses soon left the trauma room, snapping off their vinyl gloves and throwing them into the biohazard wastebasket. The second doctor patted Motoki on the shoulder and followed the nurses right afterwards. That left Motoki alone in an unnatural silence. He stared at his best friend lying lifelessly before him, and he wondered what he was going to do next.  


"Boy I'd hate to know you were my doctor if this actually happened!"   


Motoki, somewhat ticked off, stepped closer to the table and kicked under it. "You know," he fumed, "you could have told me you were doing this today! I almost had a heart attack when I saw you!"   


Chiba Mamoru laughed without hesitance at his friend. He sat up, bloody mess and all, with a large grin on his face. "I wanted you to get the full experience," he explained. "You know, get a reaction out of you; make it more realistic."  


Gradually the news wafted through the emergency department like a sweet aroma. Tokyo Memorial Hospital's biannual disaster drill was officially over. Everyone soon resumed their usual activities.   


Mamoru arose and took off the neck brace, laying it on the table. "I happened to think it was hilarious," he said. "When your face turned white it took all the strength I had not to laugh."  


"Well call me a bit absurd, but drill or no drill, I find no humor in seeing a friend near death," Motoki pointed out. "You could have at least warned me."  


"It's not like it's the first time I've been dead."  


"No, nor the second time, or the third time, or the fourth"   


"I get the picture." Mamoru handed the neck brace to Motoki and walked toward the door.  


"Hey, where are you going?" Motoki inquired.  


His friend answered, "I'm going home."  


"What for?"  


Mamoru shrugged his shoulders. "I honestly have no idea. Usako called me this morning and said she needed to talk with me in person. So I'm using my lunch break to go home. I'll probably be back in an hour, though."  


Motoki raised an eyebrow. "If Usagi-chan called you and said she had to speak with you, you're going to be gone for more than an hour. She wouldn't call you unless it was serious."  


"I know, and that's made me worried."   


"Well, perhaps it's not as terrible as you think. Who knows? Maybe she has good news instead of bad news." Motoki said goodbye to Mamoru and then left the trauma room, continuing with his afternoon rounds.  


Mamoru watched Motoki turn the corner and then headed for the doctor's lounge, closing the door behind him. He took out another set of clothes from his locket. When he changed Mamoru grabbed his wallet, car keys, and cell phone and left Tokyo Memorial Hospital. He had lied to Motoki. Or at least, he gave Motoki the parts of truth that he wanted him to know. Usagi did call him that morning, but he knew the reason why. He was leaving early, but he had no intentions of returning until tomorrow at the usual time. Mamoru wanted to spend the rest of the day with his wife, no matter what they found out when he arrived home.   


~*~*~  


1990 marked a milestone for the populace of South Africa: the walls of apartheid began to crumble and fall down. Inequality, the savage beast that fed off its hosts' hearts and clawed their innocent victims, was finally put to death. The oppressed, the persecuted, and the imprisoned were all liberated and freed from their bondage, a bondage that lasted for nearly 300 years. All citizens were now seen equals under the law, regardless of their skin color. And most importantly, they were gradually being seen as equals through the eyes of those that once bound them. It was the miracle so many had prayed for. And without faith, it would have been impossible. 

  
After apartheid's fall, great changes were promised to the black communities. Society supposedly erased and washed its background, but just how much change could is sustain? Yes, promises were fulfilled for many, but a ten-fold more had yet to receive any reparation. Really, what was to be expected? For three centuries the whites oppressed the blacks in their own native land. It would take more than 14 years for all the wrongs to be made right, which in reality wasn't even remotely possible. If things got to the point where only small pockets of intolerance existed, then perhaps all was not done in vain. But the lives of the innocent that died for what they believed in, or for whatever the reason, could never be replaced. 

  
Dr. Thilivhali Krynauw knew that too well. He lost a brother and an uncle in the fight against apartheid. His mother and his father were beaten by local authorities during a protest rally they weren't even a part of. And he, a quiet and reserved young man, spent five years in prison for publishing an underground newsletter. All of this, and he was one of the millions of blacks waiting for reparation. It infuriated him. He suffered like everyone else. He deserved a better life as much as the next person, but if he didn't then his family certainly did. Where were those changes and why were they happening to everyone but him? Where was his reward?   


Oh, but he did receive his reward! It was too small and insufficient for his expectations, though. With a slightly higher salary, Thilivhali was able to afford the rent for an apartment in an overcrowded, lower-middle class neighborhood. The bathroom facilities were shared by all the residents in the building, but there was running water and electricity in all apartments. And just three to four miles away from his home were people living in poverty that wanted the luxuries he possessed. Thilivhali wasn't impressed, and he certainly wasn't satisfied. 

  
Thilivhali brushed the cloth curtain away to peer out the small bedroom window. He shook his head grimly as he looked down at a neighborhood infested with filth and violence, the neighborhood he called home. Just last night two teenagers murdered a 10-year-old that was walking home from a friend's house. He couldn't stand it. Thilivhali wanted more out of life, not just for himself. He despised the fact that his wife and two small children were subjected to live in such an environment. But as a family practitioner for the local free clinic that paid him once every two months, he could do no better. Thilivhali felt stuck, trapped in his own life. If this was the change that was promised to him, they could take it and shove it. He didn't want it anymore. 

  
Thilivhali turned away from the window and finished getting dressed. He tucked in his shirttail, straightened his tie and grabbed his car keys form the bureau. His wife and children were still asleep, so he was careful to not wake them. After all, it was a Saturday. Everyone slept in on Saturday. Everyone except Thilivhali, that is. He usually went to the clinic, where he worked a 12-hour shift, and returned home with enough energy to eat and go to bed, only to repeat everything the next day.  


Not today, though. Without mentioning it to his wife, Thilivhali took the day off to drive to Cape Town University Medical Center and meet his friend for for something. He wasn't quite sure why his friend wanted to have a secret meeting. But from the sound of his friend's voice during their phone conversation two nights ago, Thilivhali could tell it was important that he meet with him. He just hoped it wasn't anything too serious. 

  
Before he left for the university, Thilivhali kissed his sleeping wife's cheek. "I love you" was the last thing he said to her. 

  
It was close to a two-hour drive to the university, so Thilivhali had to leave. He walked out the apartment building and climbed into his mound of battered red metal, better known as a car in its past life. As he was about to pull out, a meaty fist tapped the driver-side window. Thilivhali looked out and noticed a well-dressed *white* man standing by his car. He rolled down the window to find out what the man wanted. 

  
"Good morning," the man greeted. "My name is Dr. Stephen Lehmkuhl. I work with a friend of yours at the university. The virologist, Dr. James Sexwale I believe is his name. Could I have a moment of your time?" 

  
Thilivhali was unnerved by the gentleman's courteous smile. It was vogue, a tailored mask that poorly hid his egotistical self-esteem. Without any words, the man practically voiced, "I'm so much better than you, and I am doing you a great favor by allowing you into my presence. So please, indulge me." Thilivhali was ready to label him as another racist pig (which his friend would agree with) but for some reason he knew the man wasn't the typical bigot. He had a feeling that Dr. Stephen Lehmkuhl smiled like that to everyone he met. 

  
"Funny, James never mentioned you before," Thilivhali lied, his voice void and even toned. 

  
"Ah, well, Dr. Sexwale has told me much about you," Stephen grinned. "Do you have a moment?" 

  
"I'm sorry, but I'm late for an important meeting." Thilivhali abruptly stopped the conversation. He didn't even bother to roll up his window as he drove off toward the clinic. 

  
Stephen watched the car disappear in a cloud of dust trailing from behind. His smile intensified, personifying the very depravity and corruption that roiled within him. 

  
His plan was in progress.  


~*~*~  


For the life of her, Usagi could not understand it. She was Sailormoon, the champion of love and justice who righted wrongs and triumphed over evil. She was the last princess of the Silver Million, and in 1000 years would become the first queen for the utopian kingdom called Crystal Tokyo. She defeated countless numbers of youma. She saved Earth more times than there were fingers on her two hands. She even sacrificed her well being and died a couple of times in the process. All of that and yet and yet  


She couldn't even take a simple pregnancy test.  


Luna couldn't understand it either. She had reminded Usagi over and over again that it was just a test. Using a pass/fall metaphor made the feline chortled, for it reminded her of Usagi's junior high school days when most of time she did fall. Usagi would just glare at her and shout, "It's easy for you! Cats take care of their kittens for about two months and then they don't have to worry about them anymore!" 

  
The pregnancy test remained in its original box, left untouched beside the bathroom sink. Usagi wanted nothing but to take it and watch the pink line appear in the small white square. She reached for it dozens or dozens of times, only to withdraw her hand at the very last minute and huddle back into the corner. She was scared beyond death and why shouldn't she be? It was a big step for her, for any woman. That pregnancy test would unlock a truth that could change her life forever. What if it said no? What if it said yes? Or what if it said, "Reply hazy. Try again later?" 

  
Usagi was startled by a soft knock at the door. She immediately felt guilty. While she was in the bathroom doing her best chicken imitation, Mamoru was on the other side of the door in their bedroom, waiting for the results. And he was just as nervous as she was. 

  
"Well?" he asked.  


Usagi stammered, "I-I don't know yet."  


"What do you mean you don't know? It's been 15 minutes already!"  


"Mamo-chan, what if it says no?"   


She heard her husband give a loud sigh. "Usako, you're going to have to do this," he reminded. To lighten the mood, he added, "You know I can't do this for you" 

  
Usagi hung her head. _I wish you could! _She took a deep breath and said a silent prayer as she reached for the pregnancy test. She opened the pink box and followed the directions scribed on the back panel. One minute past, two minutes, and then three. By the fourth and final minute, Mamoru's ears were suddenly exposed to a joyous, high-pitched proclamation that cued the bells in his head to ring. 

  
"YES!"  


Yes?  


Usagi burst forth from the bathroom and wrapped her arms around her husband's neck. Mamoru started with wide eyes as his wife jumped up and down, repeating over and over in an enthusiastic voice, "Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!" 

  
It took Mamoru's brain a long instant to comprehend what it all meant. His eyes grew even wider. "You're kidding," he almost disbelieved. "Pregnant? You're pregnant?" 

  
Usagi could no longer speak because of the tears streaming down her face. When she nodded her head to confirm his question, Mamoru fiercely hugged his wife and kissed her passionately. After four wonderful years of marriage, they were finally receiving something they'd truly longed for. 

  
They were having a baby.   


~*~*~  


Dr. James Sexwale was the man who knew too much. For nearly three years he migrated back and forth to Beijing, China as he partook in a classified research program. It was privately funded by Dr. Stephen Lehmkuhl, the head geneticist at Cape Town University Medical Center in Cape Town, South Africa. James knew Stephen before the research program, for they worked at the same hospital, but more as an acquaintance. Yet he was invited by Stephen to become the chief virologist for the program after the previous one un-expectantly resigned. During the three-year course he helped to unlock the some of the mysteries behind a few of the world's most deadly viruses: Ebola, Rift Valley Fever, Junin, Mar burg, and even the newly discovered Sabia Through it all James never realized Stephen's true intentions. 

  
Now James stood by the entrance of the university's Medical Center, flicking his cigarette lighter. He remembered that he promised his fiancée that he would quit smoking, especially as he lit his ninth cigarette that morning while he waited for Thilivhali to arrive. He simply concluded that it wasn't time to give it up, not when he knew the human race was on the brink of extinction. 

  
A voice called out, "Hey, James!"  


James crumpled the empty Marlboro pack, tossed it in a nearby trashcan and dropped his cigarette butt to the ground. He searched for the source of the familiar voice and soon saw his friend walking towards him from the parking lot, waving at him as he did so.  


"So you're still smoking," Thilivhali pointed out. "I thought that woman or yours had talked you into quitting." 

  
James snatched Thilivhali by the sleeve of his jacket. He jerked him forward until they were within whispering distance of each other. "This place has ears everywhere," James told him. "It's not safe to talk with you out here. Let's go to your car. Don't say a word to me and don't even act like you know me. Just walk. I'll wait a couple of minutes before I go to your car. You got it?" 

  
Thilivhali wanted to protest. "What are you--?"  


"Do you *understand*?"  


"Yes, but I--"  


"Then shut up and so as I said."  


Thilivhali reluctantly complied with his friend's outlandish request. He went back to his car and there he waited with much infuriation towards James. James did not move from the entrance until Thilivhali was inside the vehicle and he finished another cigarette. He then walked as casually as he could (which was not saying much) to the parking lot. When James was inside and closed the door, Thilivhali had nothing but questions for him. 

  
"What is wrong with you?" he inquired. "You're acting like a paranoid maniac. And what is this all about? You just came back home from China last night, you called me and said you needed to talk with me. Now you're I don't know what you are! Are you in some kind of trouble?" 

  
"Thilly," James addressed his friend, "Just hear me out on this. T-There's something going and it's really important that I tell someone. I-I know you probably won't believe me at first, but I have proof! So just--" 

  
Using his hand Thilivhali covered James' mouth to silence him. He stared at him with irritable concern. "When was the last time you slept?" 

  
James removed Thilivhali's hand. "I'll get enough sleep when I'm dead." 

  
"Oh? You keep this up and you will be dead."  


"I probably will. Or I'll die along with the rest of the world, and that may be very soon. Everyone will perish. That includes you and your family, Thilly, and I know how much you care about your wife and kids." 

  
Thilivhali finally saw the terror manifesting through James' blue eyes. That immediately unnerved him. Here was a man who, before the fall of apartheid, was one of the few white men who fought for equality. It was how the two met, when they started the underground newsletter. To Thilivhali, James was someone who feared nothing. The secrecy, prejudice, violent protests, jail nothing ever fazed him, or at least until now. 

  
"Okay, okay, I'm listening," assured Thilivhali. "Just explain everything to me." 

  
James leaned into the passenger seat, collecting his thoughts before he spoke. The two physicians would be there all day if he started from the very beginning, so he chose to start where his troubles emerged. "My last business trip to China was supposed to be routine. I was to go over the cultures that were taken a couple of weeks ago. Everything was according to what I expected, but then I noticed a culture of a virus that I was unaware of. Well, I asked Dr. Lehmkuhl. Maybe I just forgot about it. But he said it was a special project he'd been working on, and that he wanted me to be one of the first outsiders to see his breakthrough." 

  
James changed his seating position and looked directly at Thilivhali. "A virus, it enters the body and attaches itself to a host cell. DNA from the virus also enters the host cell and it generates replicas of the disease. Once they are mature the new batch of virus pods then exits the host cell and more than likely kills it. And then the process starts all over again until it's a full blown case. It could be anything from influenza to HIV, and the most frightening thing could be the potency, whether it kills the person it's infected or not." 

  
Thilivhali wanted to roll his eyes. "I know that," he declared. "Is that what you dragged me here for? Biology 101?"  


"Listen, this breakthrough virus Dr. Lehmkuhl asked me to see is unlike anything the world has seen. It's one of the most potent viruses, or probably the most potent virus, that exists." 

  
"What? Are you talking about something similar to a biological weapon?" 

  
"What I'm talking about is a biological kamikaze. Once this virus enters a person's body, it has an incubation period of two months before any symptoms ever appear. Then in another two weeks or so the infected person starts showing symptoms and could possibly be diagnosed. That is, if there are enough people worldwide who are suffering from the same virus to cause any suspicion. It then takes another two weeks or so for the virus to run its full course. Then depending on the person's immune system, he will either die or enter a comatose state before he eventually dies. And by then, considering the fact this virus has spread across the world, millions of people have been infected and quarantine is basically useless. Even the person who releases the virus will die, for there isn't an antidote for it." 

  
Thilivhali couldn't believe anything his friend told him, yet he knew it was all true. He began to realize the risk James was taking to tell him about this super virus. With realizing that, he considered the fact that his life was now endangered as well. That angered Thilivhali. Didn't James care about his well being, his family's well being? If what he said was true and if someone was actually following him, Thilivhali was just as much as a target as James. 

  
"So" Thilivhali finally spoke. "What's this virus called?"  


James leaned forward so he wouldn't speak as loud. "Sleeper," he whispered, "a genetically engineered version of the Lassa Fever. Some of the researchers liked to call it Lassa X." 

  
"Why are you telling me all of this?"  


"I need you to somehow make sure that this leaks into the public. That Internet pen pal of yours, what's his name?"  


"Dr. Chiba? Hey now I can see where you're going with this but there is no way I'm going ask him or anyone for help. The media hounds are the ones who should know about this, not anyone else. But if this makes the six o'clock news, how do you know Dr. Lehmkuhl hasn't already released Sleeper?" 

  
"Well, it's not completely finished. Dr. Lehmkuhl argues that it needs some *adjustments*. The expectant release date is six to seven months from now. I couldn't collect all the data from the Sleeper experiments, but" James reached inside his coat and took out a manila envelope. "What I do have is in here. No one but you knows I have this."  


Thilivhali opened the envelope and reviewed some of the documents. "A good idea would be to contact the CDC in the United States. Perhaps contacting them would be better than handing this into a reporter. If the CDC read over this, they could release it to the media and the evidence would be more substantial. What do you think?"  


James ran his fingers through his hair. "I don't know. I don't know anything anymore." The fear was now slipping through his voice. "All I know is that the world needs to be told. If I don't do something, the world is going to end." 

  
Thilivhali was at a loss of words to comfort his friend with, but then there possibly were no comforting words that could soothe him. Thilivhali patted James on his knee and asked him, "You want to grab some coffee?" 

  
James nodded. "That sounds fine with me."  


Thilivhali dug into his pants pocket and found his keys. As he turned the ignition key and started the engine, the bomb implanted under his car was immediately triggered. The car exploded, killing the passenger and driver and destroying all evidence of the existence of Sleeper. For that, Stephen was thankful. 

  
======  
  
End of Chapter One  


06.17.02  


Disclaimer: Sailormoon and the characters of "Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon" are property of Takeuchi Naoko, Toei Animation, Kodansha, etc. "Sleeper" is inspired by the novel "The Most Important Little Boy in the World" written by Dean Briggs. It is property of the author and Word Publishing. I do not have ownership and I do not make any profits from the use of Sailormoon or the novel in this fan fiction. 

  
Author's Notes:  
Just so you're told, the prologue was heavily influenced by one of the first scenes in the novel. Though both versions of the scene have the basic plot -- two big-shots make a business deal and one uses violence to get what he wants -- they have their differences. This scene was NOT plagiarized so please don't accuse me. ^^;;;   


Now you understand why I spent more time on the new characters than the original characters: it was necessary because most of them died in the end. From now on, you'll see much more of Usagi, Mamoru, Motoki, the Inner Senshi, and even the Outer Senshi. (If you've read any of my other stories, you know I don't write about the Outer Senshi much.) Haruka, Michiru, Setsuna, and Hotaru all have important roles in this story, but it will be halfway or near the end of the story before they're heavily mentioned. Sorry, Outer Senshi fans.   


I know 99.9% of you did not understand the medical jargon used in this chapter. It's okay that you didn't. It was used to set the mood for the scene. A quick summary to the paramedic's medical "speech" is: "This guy was in a car wreck and unconscious. Thank God he had his seatbelt on. He still has a crack in the head, though. Lots of bruises and scrapes, some broken ribs and a broken arm. His heart's beating irregularly, and his oxygen level is low." Motoki's response is: "He's a patient in critical condition, so we'll take him first. Do all these tests on him and order an IV and blood. Get x-rays of his head, check, and neck to see if he has any more broken bones." Heheh, I watch too much ER 

  
Email: masked_maiden@hotmail.com  
Web Site: miracleromance.cjb.net 


	2. Chapter Two: Having Children

Disclaimers and author's note at the end of chapter two.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Sleeper  
  
  
  
By: Masked Maiden  
  
  
  
Chapter Two: Having Children  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
It was a tradition for the Tsukino Family to come together at least   
  
once every other week. Ever since Shingo married Kayama Mika and moved   
  
out a few months ago, it was, customarily, the only time Kenji and   
  
Ikuko ever saw their children. The family would eat dinner, and then   
  
afterwards they would sit in the living room and catch up with all that   
  
was happening in their lives. Usagi and Mamoru took that opportunity   
  
to tell everyone their little secret.  
  
  
  
Ikuko was ecstatic. She wrapped her arms around her only daughter and   
  
hugged her tightly, announcing in a tearful voice, "My baby is having a   
  
baby!"  
  
  
  
Shingo was lounging on the couch with his wife, snickering to himself.   
  
"It's about time, Baka," he teased. "I thought you'd never live up to   
  
your name!" Mika shot her husband a cold glare, and she took the   
  
liberty of taking his baseball cap and whacking him with it a couple of   
  
times. Shingo snatched it from Mika and placed it back on his head.   
  
"All right, all right," he gave in. "Congrats!"  
  
  
  
Kenji shook his head at the two newlyweds, yet he agreed with Shingo.   
  
It was about time. He accepted years ago that his little girl was now   
  
a young (and married) woman. He knew Usagi always wanted a husband and   
  
children, and Mamoru wanted the family he didn't have when growing up.   
  
Four years was a long time, at least to Kenji, for any woman who wanted   
  
children to become pregnant. Good things came to those who wait, he   
  
supposed.  
  
  
  
"Let's just hope he's nothing like his father," Kenji kidded.  
  
  
  
Mamoru smirked, "And let's hope he's nothing like his grandpa."  
  
  
  
"Or she," Mika corrected. "It could be a girl. What do you think,   
  
Usagi-chan? Are you and Mamoru-kun going to find out if it's a boy or   
  
a girl?"  
  
  
  
Usagi took her seat on the couch, next to her husband. She merely   
  
shrugged and answered, "We haven't even talked about that. It doesn't   
  
matter to me, though."  
  
  
  
"That's right," Ikuko smiled. "As long as you give me a healthy   
  
grandbaby then nothing else matters."  
  
  
  
"You need to find out," Shingo urged, "because I need to know if I'm   
  
going to be an aunt or an uncle."  
  
  
  
Usagi rolled her eyes at her little brother. "Shingo, if you really   
  
need to know for sure then go to the bathroom and drop your pants."  
  
  
  
Shingo turned a beet red while everyone else in the living room rolled   
  
with laughter. Even Mika joined in. She fell back into Shingo's lap   
  
and continued chortling. He folded his arms and hung his head. No   
  
respect, he mused, no respect at all.  
  
  
  
"Shingo, you know we love you," cooed Usagi.  
  
  
  
Shingo leered, "Sure you do..."  
  
  
  
~*~*~  
  
  
  
Tomoe Hotaru woke up to an odd, though innate tingling sensation. She   
  
felt through the darkness for her alarm clock and turned it around so   
  
to check the time. She groaned into her pillow. It was three o'clock   
  
in the morning, and she had to use the bathroom.  
  
  
  
Hotaru pushed aside the covers and swung her feet over the edge of the   
  
bed. She stood, taking a break to yawn, and dragged her body toward   
  
the bathroom. It just had to be on the other side of the hallway, she   
  
mentally griped. Hotaru passed Setsuna's bedroom and Haruka and   
  
Michiru's room before she stopped in front of the closed door to the   
  
bathroom. She knocked on the door, thinking someone was inside. When   
  
there was no response Hotaru opened the door, only to notice one thing.  
  
  
  
The lights were already on.  
  
  
  
Hotaru shrugged it off, suspecting that Haruka had accidentally left   
  
the lights on. (And she was known to close the door behind her for...   
  
lingering reasons.) Hotaru stepped into the bathroom and closed the   
  
door behind her. From the corner of her eye, the light switch caught   
  
her attention. Sleep melted away and her adrenaline accelerated. Why   
  
were the lights on when the switch indicated they were turned off?  
  
  
  
Her surroundings changed. Rivulets of steam emerged and thickened into   
  
a moist fog that enveloped the closed off area and dampened Hotaru's   
  
entire body. Hotaru attempted to open the door yet the knob would not   
  
turn. She spun around, chest heaving and eyes expressing great   
  
trepidation, and from the center of the room two silhouettes, one male   
  
and one female came into view. Hotaru raised her hand and called for   
  
her henshin wand.  
  
  
  
"Saturn Planet Power, Make up!"  
  
  
  
Nothing happened.  
  
  
  
That was when she backed into the door and screamed for her family.   
  
  
  
Haruka snapped form her sleep and climbed over Michiru as she hurried   
  
to her daughter. Yet her feet became entangled with the bed sheets,   
  
and as she leapt from the bed she fell face first on the carpet.   
  
Setsuna and Michiru ran down the corridor. Haruka picked herself up   
  
and followed them.  
  
  
  
"Hotaru!" Haruka called out. "Hotaru, what's wrong?"  
  
  
  
There was no response.  
  
  
  
Michiru pointed to the floor. "Haruka, look!"  
  
  
  
Fog billowed through the bottom of the door and concealed the hardwood   
  
floor, coming up to the ankles of the three women. Haruka, Michiru,   
  
and Setsuna stared at one another, all sharing the same thought.  
  
  
  
"Uranus Planet Power, Make up!"  
  
  
  
"Neptune Planet Power, Make up!"  
  
  
  
"Pluto Planet Power, Make up!"  
  
  
  
A kaleidoscope of colors and energies engulfed the women as they   
  
henshin into the Outer Sailor Senshi. A transformation that seemed   
  
long and extensive (and in combat, vulnerable) only took the blink of   
  
an eye to complete. As the magic subsided, Sailorpluto stepped forward   
  
and starting banging on the door.  
  
  
  
"Hotaru, answer us!" she pleaded. The banging continued and now   
  
included Sailorneptune trying to turn the doorknob. "Answer us,   
  
please!"  
  
  
  
Sailoruranus decided to take matters into her own hands, which meant   
  
using the direct approach. Stepping forward she pushed Neptune and   
  
Pluto aside. She balled her fist as if she were preparing to spike a   
  
volleyball and positioned it dangerously close to the door. Golden   
  
light radiated from her clenched fist, shaping into a sphere of   
  
alchemy.   
  
  
  
"World Shaking!"  
  
  
  
The booming sound from the explosion filled the house. Wooden   
  
splinters meshed with the opaque fog as it streamed into the hall. It   
  
dissipated until all had vanished and darkness occupied the bathroom   
  
once more.  
  
  
  
Hotaru stood in the middle of the room, back towards the door and her   
  
loved ones. Her violet eyes were fixated on the spot where the male   
  
and female silhouettes appeared and revealed their identities. Her   
  
mind reeled from what had just been exposed to her. A delicate hand   
  
touched her shoulder. Hotaru turned her head and saw Neptune and   
  
Uranus standing beside her, both of their faces etched with concern.  
  
  
  
"Hotaru, what happened?" Neptune asked.  
  
  
  
The young woman tried to find the words to describe the vision she had   
  
witnessed, but all she could utter were three syllables.  
  
  
  
"The Great Freeze."  
  
  
~*~*~  
  
  
  
Monday, two days later...  
  
  
  
When Usagi graduated from Juuban High School, everyone assumed she   
  
would marry Mamoru and not further her education. School had always   
  
been a struggle for her. No matter how hard she studied for a test   
  
Usagi never made the grades she desperately strove for. But after a   
  
week or so of freedom from school, Usagi realized there was more to   
  
life than marriage and waiting for the future to arrive. She wanted,   
  
needed something that was only for her, and a college degree was the   
  
perfect goal. She enrolled in the fall semester at Minato-ku Technical   
  
College and three years later she earned her associate's degree in   
  
early childhood education.  
  
  
  
Nowadays Usagi lived in the suburbs with her husband and worked at a   
  
local daycare center. Usagi loved her job, for it gave her a sense of   
  
genuine fulfillment. As Sailormoon she knew she'd made an impact in   
  
the world, but what had Chiba Usagi done? Her husband and friends all   
  
had their answers to that question but Usagi now had one of her own.   
  
She was setting a positive example for the future, the children she   
  
cared for. It wasn't a glamorous job, or one that paid well, but Usagi   
  
received her reward each time she saw that she'd made a difference in a   
  
child's life.   
  
  
  
"And in the international news, there are no updates concerning the car   
  
bombing that occurred in South Africa. On Saturday afternoon two   
  
physicians were killed in the bombing at Cape Town University Medical   
  
Center. Authorities have yet to give out the identities of the   
  
physicians, and so far there are no suspects or leads as to why--"   
  
  
  
Usagi changed the radio station while waiting for the traffic light to   
  
turn green. Once it did so she continued onward to the daycare. Her   
  
mind was on one child in particular that morning, as it had been for   
  
the past two days. It was her child, the one she'd been praying to   
  
have for three years.  
  
  
  
Now Usagi and Mamoru were well aware that ChibiUsa was their future   
  
daughter. They remembered her days of training, when she lived amongst   
  
them and the Sailor Senshi. But after ChibiUsa returned to Crystal   
  
Tokyo, Usagi thought about how the knowledge of her future affected her   
  
dreams. Before ChibiUsa dropped into her life and before she ever met   
  
Mamoru, Usagi dreamed of getting married and having two or three   
  
children, maybe more. But was ChibiUsa her only child? If she wasn't,   
  
why didn't her sibling (or siblings) time travel with her to Tokyo   
  
during the Black Moon attack? This puzzled Usagi and she eventually   
  
shared her thoughts with Mamoru.   
  
  
  
Mamoru saw his glimpse into the future as a security blanket. Despite   
  
the war against the Black Moon Clan, he discovered that he would one   
  
day have the family he longed for while growing up. But there were   
  
still things about the future that weren't unveiled, and that was his   
  
answer to Usagi's question. They concluded that nothing should affect   
  
their dreams. The future was not set in stone. It was theirs to   
  
create, and possibly theirs to change. So when Usagi and Mamoru got   
  
married in September of 2000, they decided they wanted to have more   
  
than one child.  
  
  
  
During their first year of marriage Usagi and Mamoru did use   
  
contraceptives. Mamoru was still in graduate school, a year away from   
  
having his doctorate's degree in emergency medicine. Usagi was just   
  
beginning her career at the daycare. They thought it was wise for them   
  
to have at least one year to themselves, simply as husband and wife.   
  
But when it was confirmed that Mamoru would carry out his residency at   
  
Tokyo Memorial Hospital, he and Usagi seriously started trying to have   
  
a baby.   
  
  
  
It was easier said than done. After two years of trying Usagi wasn't   
  
pregnant. Usagi grew concern, more than she let on, and decided to do   
  
some research on the matter. But with every web site she visited and   
  
every article for read, Usagi became somewhat paranoid. Was fate   
  
simply telling her that ChibiUsa was her only child? If so then Usagi   
  
could learn to accept that. But what if it was something else? What   
  
if there was something wrong with her?   
  
  
  
"Who knows? It could be me," Mamoru once suggested, more serious than   
  
he wanted to admit. "I've been beaten, stabbed, brainwashed... there's   
  
no telling what else's been done to me."   
  
  
  
Rei, Makoto, and Minako all attempted to ease Usagi's worries, and with   
  
the best of intentions. Patience was a virtue, they told her, and if   
  
it didn't happen she still had ChibiUsa. But Ami knew their comfort   
  
didn't help matters, especially when Rei and Makoto were married with   
  
children. Ami was a third year medical student at the time, with an   
  
interest in obstetrics and gynecology. Everyday she saw women who were   
  
in the same boat Usagi was in, including those who wanted a second   
  
child. So she suggested for Usagi and Mamoru to meet with a fertility   
  
specialist at Juuban District Medical Center.   
  
  
  
The specialist was a woman who'd been in the same situation as most of   
  
her patients, which was why several physicians spoke highly of her: she   
  
knew exactly what many couples were going through. She went over   
  
Usagi's medical and family history, along with Mamoru's medical   
  
history. Then there were the embarrassing questions (at least to   
  
Usagi), the tests, and finally the results. But after a month of   
  
waiting for an explanation, the specialist concluded that there wasn't   
  
anything medically wrong.   
  
  
  
"It's unfortunately common," she told them, "and besides timed   
  
intercourse there isn't a specific treatment."  
  
  
  
That night Usagi could do nothing but cry. She was fed up with putting   
  
on a one-woman show whenever she was around her friends, for inside she   
  
was alone and dying. It seemed to her that everyone was either having   
  
a baby or was expecting. Motoki and Reika had their little girl, who   
  
was now five years old and starting kindergarten. Makoto and her   
  
fiancé (now husband) had a baby girl six months ago. Rei and   
  
Yuuichirou were married only five months after Usagi and Mamoru; they   
  
had a three-year-old son.   
  
  
  
Usagi remembered one incident involving Rei. It was when her son, Tomi   
  
was going through the "terrible twos" stage, thus driving his parents   
  
and great-grandfather crazy. Rei scolded Tomi for something -- Usagi   
  
couldn't recall what -- and then vented her frustration toward her best   
  
friend. Usagi listened, and when Rei was finished she smiled and said,   
  
"You're still very blessed." Unintentionally her comment made Rei feel   
  
guilty and afterwards Usagi wished she'd never said it, though a part   
  
of her was thrilled she had.   
  
  
  
When will it be my turn, she once thought. She wasn't the oldest but   
  
she was the first to have a boyfriend, the first to be kissed and the   
  
first to get married. She was supposed to be the first to have a baby!   
  
But why hadn't she? Why hadn't she been blessed with a child yet?  
  
  
  
Almost four months passed before Usagi and Mamoru went back to the   
  
specialist at Juuban District Medical Center. As she'd told them there   
  
were no specific treatments, but there were several alternatives and   
  
they ranged from fertility drugs to in-vitro fertilization. Usagi and   
  
Mamoru agreed to try the fertility drugs, though as their last resort.   
  
If Usagi wasn't pregnant by the end of the treatment, they would   
  
surrender to fate. So Usagi took six cycles of clomid, five days a   
  
month for six months. Each month she took a pregnancy test, and each   
  
month the results were negative. By the final month, Usagi assumed   
  
fate had won.  
  
  
  
And that's when she found out she was finally pregnant.   
  
  
  
Usagi heard her cell phone chirp from inside her pocketbook. Keeping   
  
an eye on the road and one hand on the steering wheel, Usagi dug around   
  
until she felt her phone. She flipped it open and answered it. It was   
  
Makoto.   
  
  
  
"Usagi-chan, I hate asking you on short notice," Makoto apologized,   
  
"but I'm in a bind. The babysitter called a few minutes ago and said   
  
she was sick. Could you watch over Sumire for a couple of hours this   
  
afternoon?"  
  
  
  
Usagi smiled to herself. With Makoto managing a restaurant from noon   
  
to eight o'clock, and with her husband working at a law firm an hour   
  
away, the couple needed a babysitter to look after their daughter in   
  
the afternoons. When the usual babysitter couldn't make it, either   
  
Usagi or Rei would.  
  
  
  
"I'll be at the restaurant right after work!" Usagi promised. "I have   
  
something to tell you and everyone else this afternoon anyway. Could   
  
you go me a favor and call Rei-chan for me? Tell her to meet me at the   
  
restaurant around four. Have her call Ami-chan and Minako-chan to tell   
  
them the same thing."  
  
  
  
"Hey, are you keeping a secret from us?" Makoto teased. "You better   
  
tell me. Come on, I won't say anything. I'll act surprise when   
  
everyone else finds out."  
  
  
  
"I'll tell you when I see you. Will you call Rei-chan?"  
  
  
  
"Of course I will. It's the least I can do, and it's probably the only   
  
way I'll find out anything! I'll see you in a few hours, Usagi-chan."  
  
  
  
"Bye, Mako-chan."   
  
  
  
Usagi pulled into the parking lot of the daycare center just as some of   
  
the parents were dropping off their children. As she entered the   
  
building she was greeted by one of the little boys she took care of.   
  
There was a huge grin on his face, along with something green on his   
  
finger, which he directly pointed in Usagi's face.  
  
  
  
"Chiba-sensei! Look, look! I got a boogie!"  
  
  
  
A squeamish grin etched itself on Usagi's face. Oh yes, she just   
  
couldn't wait for motherhood.  
  
  
  
~*~*~  
  
  
  
On the third floor of Tokyo Memorial Hospital, in the annex designated   
  
to obstetrics and gynecology, Dr. Mizuno Ami was thankful she was going   
  
home.   
  
  
  
Her morning had not been a pleasant one. Passers-by could tell from   
  
the expression on her face, from the look in her eyes. It was all she   
  
could do to refrain from crying. She had to leave, find her place of   
  
solace and release her tears.  
  
  
  
She had performed an emergency cesarean section that morning. The   
  
baby's heart rate became erratic, for the umbilical cord had wrapped   
  
around his neck. During the cesarean Ami focused her attention towards   
  
the baby, her mind infested with her typical fears and worries. But   
  
once the baby was delivered and crying uncontrollably, Ami became more   
  
at ease and the nagging thoughts in the back of her mind ceased. The   
  
cesarean had turned out to be a textbook procedure. But then the   
  
unexpected happened.  
  
  
  
"... We couldn't stop the bleeding. I'm sorry, sir, but your wife didn't   
  
make it."  
  
  
  
Ami was not used to death, or better yet, defeat. Detached from her   
  
surroundings she stepped into the empty elevator and relived the   
  
memories, watching them second by second with her mind's eyes. She   
  
knew death was the only absolute in life, but what was the purpose for   
  
a twenty-eight-year-old woman to die before she even had the chance to   
  
hold her firstborn? Ami couldn't think of an explanation, except that   
  
she must have done something wrong.   
  
  
  
"Ami?"  
  
  
  
The physician had not noticed that the elevator doors were open, or   
  
that a masculine hand kept them from closing. Ami raised her head and   
  
stared into the gray eyes of one of the nurses who worked at Memorial.   
  
The temporary walls she'd placed around her emotions started to   
  
crumble, and a single tear fell down her cheek.  
  
  
  
"Ami, what's wrong?" he asked, concerned.  
  
  
  
"Nothing," she lied.  
  
  
  
"There's got to be something wrong. Come on."   
  
  
  
The young man wrapped an arm around Ami's shoulders and led her to the   
  
snack room located down the hallway. There he bought Ami a can of diet   
  
soda and once more asked her what was troubling her. Ami sat down,   
  
stared at the unopened aluminum can in her hands, and slowly retold the   
  
events of that morning. She was careful to keep her voice from   
  
cracking, though now and then she stopped to wipe the tears from her   
  
eyes. Through it all, the nurse listened.  
  
  
  
"Oh yeah, the Sakurai boy," he finally said. "He was brought into the   
  
NICU a few minutes ago. I must have left before the father came in to   
  
see him, though."  
  
  
  
"Hideki, I feel like there's something I should have done," Ami   
  
confided, and addressing the nurse by his given name. "It's like... I   
  
was more worried about the baby. But I'm an obstetrician, not a   
  
pediatrician. I should have paid more attention to the mother..."  
  
  
  
"Ami," Hideki interrupted, grabbing a chair and sitting down next to   
  
her, "I'm going to let you in on a little secret. You're not perfect."  
  
  
  
Hideki Phillips was the oldest son of an American marine and a Japanese   
  
schoolteacher. He was a military brat, living on the base in Japan   
  
from almost twelve years. His family moved to America, where he   
  
graduated from college and attended two years of college at Brown   
  
University in Rhode Island. Hideki then decided to move back to Japan,   
  
the only place he ever considered to be home. He entered the nursing   
  
program at Tokyo University and now worked at Memorial as a RN for the   
  
neonatal intensive care unit. Then almost eight months ago, he met   
  
Ami. He loved her so much. Her determination and strife for   
  
perfection was one of her many traits that he admired, and yet he could   
  
also see how it was one of her weaknesses.  
  
  
  
Ami just shook her head. "I know that, but--"  
  
  
  
"I don't think you do," Hideki interrupted. "Ami, I know you're still   
  
considered a rookie around here, but you have to accept that people   
  
die, even in the field of obstetrics. And it's not your fault. It was   
  
just her time to go. We can't change fate."  
  
  
  
Ami rested her head on Hideki's shoulder. "So when does the pain go   
  
away?"  
  
  
  
"I don't think ever goes away. You just learn to not let it get to   
  
you. But let's stop talking about death right now." Hideki put on a   
  
cheesy grin and eyed Ami. "Let's talk about your lovely mother."  
  
  
  
Ami broke into laughter. "What has Mom done to you now?" she inquired.  
  
  
  
"Nothing, except that she's been interrogating me about that ring on   
  
your finger. I know you want to wait until your father's in town, but   
  
everyone else knows. Can't we just tell her that we're engaged?"  
  
  
  
~*~*~  
  
  
  
Kumada-Hino Rei strolled through the Hikawa Jinga's courtyard and   
  
admired the sights of the cherry trees with their autumn foliage.   
  
Golden yellow, flaming red and bright orange leaves fell gently in the   
  
cool breeze and littered the ground. They were so tranquil and elegant,   
  
yet they were a menace to her husband. Yuuichirou grumbled every time   
  
a layer of fallen leaves formed in a place he'd just raked clean.   
  
  
  
Tomi, their three-year-old son did not seem to mind the crackling   
  
litter. He played in the leaves more than he helped his daddy.   
  
Instead of dumping the leaves in the half-full garbage bag he tossed   
  
them around, picked them up and then trashed them. Rei laughed and   
  
stopped to watch her little boy. It brought her much joy just to see   
  
him smile.  
  
  
  
Yuuichirou soon noticed his son's unique game. With an impish grin he   
  
dropped his rake and charged at Tomi. He grabbed him and carried him   
  
over his shoulders like a sack of potatoes. As Tomi hollered with   
  
glee, Yuuichirou held him upside down and teasingly threatened to drop   
  
him in the garbage bag.  
  
  
  
"I'll throw you out with the trash!"  
  
  
  
Tomi giggled, "Daddy, you wouldn't..."  
  
  
  
"That's right, Daddy, you wouldn't," Rei called out.  
  
  
  
Yuuichirou set Tomi on his feet (before all the blood rushed to his   
  
head) and gave his wife a kiss. Tomi went back to playing with the   
  
leaves, occasionally putting some in the garbage bag when he thought of   
  
it.  
  
  
  
"You know, I think he's hindering you more than helping you," Rei   
  
commented.  
  
  
  
Yuuichirou just shrugged. "Ah, let him play. You're only young once.   
  
Besides, in a few minutes he'll get bored and start bothering Grandpa."   
  
He picked up his rake and continued raking leaves. "So what is it you   
  
want to ask me?"  
  
  
  
"What makes you think I want to ask you something?"  
  
  
  
"I don't know. Just a feeling that I have... Well, that and I know you   
  
too well."  
  
  
  
Rei laughed. "Well, if you must know, Mako-chan called a few minutes   
  
ago. Usagi wants everyone to meet her at the restaurant this evening.   
  
It sounds important, whatever it is, and I'm supposed to call Minako-  
  
chan and Ami-chan and inform them about the meeting. I just wanted to   
  
know if you had any plans for today. I don't think it's a meeting Tomi   
  
can tag along on."  
  
  
  
"Nope, I don't have anything planned. Although..." There was a   
  
mischievous twinkle in Yuuichirou as he stared at his wife. "I may   
  
have some plans for tonight. I have reservations to this very nice   
  
French restaurant and I need to find someone to go with me. You don't   
  
know anyone that would like to go, do you?"  
  
  
  
Rei picked her jaw up from the ground. "What's the occasion?" she   
  
inquired. "Not that we need an occasion..."  
  
  
  
"The occasion is I finally saved enough money to take you there. I   
  
wanted to take you for our anniversary, but that's five months away and   
  
I knew I'd spend the money by then."  
  
  
  
That was a horrible lie, Rei mused. Yuuichirou was very conservative   
  
with his money. He'd created a budget when he and Rei were married and   
  
he followed it to the minor details. She, however, was the one he   
  
loved to spend money. She didn't always follow the budget.  
  
  
  
"I think there's more to your story," Rei pointed her finger at   
  
Yuuichirou. She stepped closer and wrapped her arms around his neck.   
  
"Come on. I'll give you a kiss if you tell me."  
  
  
  
"Mommy! Daddy! What are you doing?"  
  
  
  
~*~*~  
  
  
  
Mamoru loved his job. Ever since he was eight years old he wanted to   
  
be a doctor, to save the dying and heal the sick. Yet there were a few   
  
things concerning his profession that he despised. The perfume that   
  
several nurses were known to wear was one thing. It was overwhelming,   
  
with the strength to suffocate anyone who walked by, and Mamoru knew   
  
there were asthma patients who did not deserve such torture. Then   
  
there was his on-call duty every five weeks, when he had to stay at the   
  
hospital for 30 hours straight, sometimes more. He always came home   
  
and "pulled an Usako", which meant sleeping for 10 hours or more. But   
  
the number one thing Mamoru loathed was when another doctor dumped his   
  
or her patients onto him. They were usually the simple cases, the ones   
  
the medical students should have been given. But for some reason,   
  
Mamoru always seemed to receive his share.  
  
  
  
This one, however, Mamoru did not mind as much. It took him to the   
  
pediatric ward of the trauma center. All morning Mamoru had dodged   
  
Motoki, hoping against hope that his friend wouldn't find him and   
  
demand to know why he left Saturday... and not come back. Not that he   
  
didn't want to tell Motoki the good news, he just didn't have the time   
  
until his lunch break.  
  
  
  
Mamoru reviewed the medical chart and entered the examination room.   
  
His patient was a little girl, six years old, who sat in her   
  
grandmother's lap. She hid her face when he sat down on the swiveling   
  
stool in front of them. Mamoru didn't blame her. Every child had two   
  
main phobias whenever they visited the doctor: "Is this going to hurt?"   
  
and "Am I getting a shot?"  
  
  
  
"She accidentally knocked down a vase when she was helping me clean the   
  
living room this morning," the child's grandmother explained. "When   
  
she tried to pick up the broken pieces she got some of the glass stuck   
  
in her hands. I tried my best to clean her hands but I think there's   
  
still some glass in them."  
  
  
  
Mamoru scooted closer to the child and tickled her under her armpit.   
  
She didn't smile, though she slightly turned her head and started at   
  
him with her big brown eyes. It was the same look Mamoru saw in many   
  
children. All they wanted to do was go home. They didn't care if   
  
anything was wrong with them. Everything was scary and they just   
  
wanted to go home.   
  
  
  
"Hey there," Mamoru warmly greeted. "What's your name?"  
  
  
  
The girl mumbled, "Yumiko."  
  
  
  
"Yumiko-chan, it's nice to meet you. My name is Dr. Chiba. Can I look   
  
at your hands for a few minutes?"  
  
  
  
Hesitant at first, Yumiko unwillingly offered her hands. Mamoru   
  
unwrapped the bandages and inspected the cuts. "That doesn't look too   
  
bad..." Most of the cuts were superficial and there was slight bleeding,   
  
but there were still shards of glass embedded in the wounds. Mamoru   
  
took a pair of tweezers and carefully picked out each piece one by one.  
  
  
  
"You're a very brave girl, Yumiko-chan," Mamoru praised, "but now you   
  
need to prove how brave you really are. You see, while your grandma   
  
did a good job cleaning your hands, you need a couple of stitches, and   
  
you do need a shot. Now don't cry, okay? We don't want your hands to   
  
get infected."  
  
  
  
Yumiko asked the most famous question. "Will it hurt?"  
  
  
  
"It might for a second or two. But if you're brave girl and don't cry,   
  
I'm sure your grandma will take you out for ice cream." Mamoru was   
  
always cautious with using the bribing method. He remembered that his   
  
father used it on him when he was little... and it never worked.   
  
  
  
Thankfully Yumiko became quite excited with the idea of having ice   
  
cream before lunch. She was stitched up and then poked with a needle.   
  
However, she received two shots instead of one, one in each hand.   
  
Mamoru cunningly concealed the second shot and threw the needle away   
  
before the girl realized she'd been tricked. With one patient down and   
  
several more to go, Mamoru headed back to the main section of the   
  
emergency room.   
  
  
  
"So that's where you've been hiding."  
  
  
  
Mamoru paused and looked over his shoulder. Motoki stood less than a   
  
meter away from him, arms folded and an inquiring expression written on   
  
his face. Mamoru inwardly groaned. No matter what he attempted,   
  
Motoki wasn't going to leave him alone until he told the complete   
  
truth.  
  
  
  
"So you found me..." Mamoru muttered.  
  
  
  
"This ER is only so big, you know..." Motoki smiled and cocked his head   
  
to the side. "It's almost noon," he said. "Want to grab a bite to   
  
eat?"  
  
  
  
~*~*~  
  
  
  
Aino Minako sat on a stool next to a stainless steel counter that was   
  
located in the kitchen of the restaurant owned by her dear friend,   
  
Morioka Makoto. She had the urge to punch Makoto. She wanted to grab   
  
her by the throat, strangle her and tear her into shreds with her two   
  
bare hands. Afterwards she wanted to cry out savagely and dance around   
  
Makoto's remains, maybe even throw them into a raging incinerator and   
  
dump her ashes down the toilet. Or maybe she could just strap her to a   
  
747 headed for Antarctica. Makoto always hated airplanes.  
  
  
  
But of course, it was all illegal, and impossible. Minako was the   
  
leader of the Inner Senshi, yet Makoto was more physically apt than she   
  
was. In other words, Makoto could beat the crap out of her! And this   
  
was all because she said, "It doesn't do you any good to get upset.   
  
You should just ignore your mother and live your life the way you want   
  
to."  
  
  
  
For the past six years, Mrs. Aino had dropped subtle hints of her   
  
aspirations concerning her only child. They were not wishes for Minako   
  
to reach the stars and follow her dream of becoming an actress and   
  
singer, but practically demands for her to settle down with a suitable   
  
husband and give her a grandchild or two. In truth, Minako would   
  
probably give up her dreams if it meant finding her true love. She   
  
still had the fantasy of a handsome man who would give her a bouquet of   
  
flowers and say to her, "Young lady, will you go out with me tonight?"   
  
She wanted what Ami had with her fiancé and what Usagi, Rei, and Makoto   
  
had with their husbands. Yet it seemed love always passed her by. Was   
  
she really cursed?  
  
  
  
Cursed or not, her mother never helped matters. "Minako, you're a   
  
beautiful woman, but you're not getting any younger," she would say.   
  
"You need to find a husband. If your so-called career doesn't pan out,   
  
who will be there to support you?" Who could possibly ignore that? A   
  
great actress, Minako told herself. Ignoring was only acting. If it   
  
were any other person Minako could ignore them, but she could not put   
  
on a show when it came to her mother, no matter how much she desired   
  
to. Her words pierced her too deeply.  
  
  
  
Makoto sensed her friend's frustration, and she understood how it felt   
  
to be lonely. She once thought she would never find a man who could   
  
love her. She was not the ideal woman, more of an oxymoron: strong and   
  
athletic yet the example of the perfect homemaker. But that was three   
  
years ago. Makoto now had her husband and her daughter. She just   
  
wished Minako could find someone.   
  
  
  
"You okay, Minako-chan?" she asked.  
  
  
  
Minako shrugged with indifference. "I guess so," she sighed. "Just   
  
because I can't stand my mother at times doesn't mean my life is a   
  
complete living hell." She glanced at her watch. "I should head for   
  
the studio. I have a photo shoot in thirty minutes."  
  
  
  
"I wish you could make the meeting this evening. Usagi-chan sounds   
  
like she has some big news to tell us. What do you think it could be?"  
  
  
  
"Knowing her it could be anything. I just hope it's good news and not   
  
bad news. I'll call her tonight and find out."  
  
  
  
"Well before you go... Ami-chan and I were talking this morning. She   
  
knows this guy who works at Minato City General." Makoto smiled. "We   
  
think he would be perfect for you."  
  
  
  
Minako perked up, acting more like herself. "Is he a doctor?"  
  
  
  
"No..."  
  
  
  
"A nurse? Hey, those male nurses look extremely sexy in those   
  
uniforms. Especially Hideki-kun, but don't tell Ami-chan I said that..."  
  
  
  
"No, he isn't a nurse. He's an organ transplant coordinator for the   
  
hospital."  
  
  
  
Minako raised an eyebrow, terribly dumbstruck. "He's a what?"   
  
  
  
"He's the person who finds hearts and lungs and other organs for people   
  
who need transplants. His job keeps him busy most of the time but I'm   
  
sure he would love to go out with you. If you're interested, I'll tell   
  
Ami-chan and she'll work something out."  
  
  
  
Minako jumped in the air with enthusiasm and giggled with glee. She   
  
then ran up to Makoto and fiercely hugged her, nearly knocking the wind   
  
of out her. It was all Makoto could do to keep from hitting some sense   
  
into her friend. But then it wasn't every day Minako was guaranteed a   
  
date.  
  
  
  
"Thank you!" Minako exclaimed. It was all she could possibly say.   
  
"Thank you, thank you, thank you!"  
  
  
  
~*~*~  
  
  
  
It was twenty past three o'clock before Mamoru and Motoki were able to   
  
escape from the emergency room. A mugger snatched a woman's purse just   
  
before running into the street and colliding into a sports car going   
  
over 90 kilometers per hour. He would probably never regain all the   
  
use of his legs. Then came a lady who suffered severe stomach pains,   
  
which turned out to an ectopic pregnancy. She was given to the chief   
  
obstetrician and was now in surgery. It was days like this one that   
  
made Mamoru remember why chose emergency medicine instead of his first   
  
choice, genetics: each day was different, and each day brought new   
  
challenges. There was no way he could ever become bored.  
  
  
  
For lunch Mamoru and Motoki went to the hospital's cafeteria, which   
  
sadly reminded them too much of their high school days. Yet because   
  
the emergency room was busier than usual (if anyone could believe   
  
that), neither wanted to eat lunch off the hospital's premises. Once   
  
the two were seated, Mamoru retold Saturday's events to Motoki, who   
  
paid close attention to every word spoken.  
  
  
  
"Usako finished her last cycle of clomid a couple of weeks ago and   
  
Saturday she wanted to take a pregnancy test." Mamoru went on to   
  
explain, "The original plan was for her to buy the test, take it and   
  
call me at work when she found out the results. I knew I had to come   
  
to work because of the disaster drill. But Usako called and said she   
  
just couldn't take the pregnancy test alone. I didn't blame her one   
  
bit, and I was glad in a way because I wanted to be there as well. So   
  
I found a way to leave work early. And before you even ask, we didn't   
  
say anything because we didn't want to get anyone's hopes up,   
  
especially ours."  
  
  
  
Motoki nodded, finished chewing his bit of salad and swallowed. "So   
  
what was it?" he asked.  
  
  
  
"What was what?"  
  
  
  
The blond rolled his eyes. "Don't start playing this game with me, Dr.   
  
Chiba. You know what I asked. Is Usagi-chan pregnant or not?"  
  
  
  
"Oh..." Mamoru slouched in his chair and thrust his hands in his pants   
  
pockets, appearing so solemn and crestfallen. It took all the strength   
  
he had to keep a straight face as Motoki expected to hear the worst.   
  
"It's terrible..." Mamoru complained. "I mean, we've only known for two   
  
days and we're already debating over baby names!"  
  
  
  
Motoki nearly choked on his food. "You're kidding!" His eyes narrowed   
  
as Mamoru started laughing. Motoki balled up a napkin and threw it   
  
onto Mamoru's tray. "You better *not* be kidding!"  
  
  
  
"No, I'm not," Mamoru smiled. "Usako's pregnant!"  
  
  
  
"Well it's about time!"  
  
  
  
"You know, that's exactly what Shingo said."  
  
  
  
"Well, it is. You and Usagi-chan have been trying for, what, three,   
  
four years?"  
  
  
  
"Three years. We've been married for four years." Mamoru took a sip   
  
of his soft drink. "I have to honest, Motoki, I really wasn't   
  
expecting this to happen. I was hoping it would happen, but as hard as   
  
Usako and I tried to have a baby, and with all the previous pregnancy   
  
tests that were negative... well I was ready to give up. I just assumed   
  
this one wouldn't be any different."  
  
  
  
Motoki smirked, "And yet you went home Saturday afternoon."  
  
  
  
"Yeah... You're right, I did."  
  
  
  
Mamoru remembered that night when Usagi could do nothing but cry. It   
  
was when the fertility specialist at Juuban District told them there   
  
was no answer to why she couldn't get pregnant. Mamoru couldn't stand   
  
seeing Usagi so upset. He held her for hours, comforting her and   
  
telling her they would find a way. They stayed up past two o'clock   
  
asking themselves why... Why did they have to fight for everything?   
  
Couldn't something come easy to them for once? Yet Mamoru supposed   
  
that fighting for something showed just how much a person wanted it.  
  
  
  
They really wanted this baby.  
  
  
  
Motoki dug into his coat pocket and took out an envelope. "I almost   
  
forgot about this," he said, taking Mamoru away from his thoughts.   
  
"This came for you Saturday."  
  
  
  
Mamoru took the envelope and looked at the return address. "Duke   
  
University?"  
  
  
  
"Didn't you apply to their medical school?"  
  
  
  
"No, but I did think about it. What do they want with me?" Mamoru   
  
tore open the envelope, took out the letter and read it silently to   
  
himself.  
  
  
  
And though it was of no significance to him yet, Dr. Stephen Lehmkuhl   
  
had signed the letter.   
  
  
  
~*~*~  
  
  
  
"You're what?!"  
  
  
  
Ami, Makoto, and Rei all shouted the very same reaction at the same   
  
time. They stared at each other, completely shocked. Then they turned   
  
their attention to Usagi, who immediately became the target of a   
  
million questions and comments, each one flying a hundred kilometers   
  
per hour.  
  
  
  
"When did you find out?"  
  
  
  
"Why didn't you tell us sooner?"  
  
  
  
"I should have known!"  
  
  
  
Usagi sat on one of the tables in the restaurant's kitchen and started   
  
to nibble on cookie from the plate Makoto set out for the group. She   
  
was enjoying this way too much. "I've only known for two days! Give   
  
me a break, guys, I wanted to tell my family first."  
  
  
  
"Minako-chan is going to hate you," Rei commented. "She had to work   
  
this evening and so she'll be the last person to know."  
  
  
  
"Well, I haven't called Haruka-san and Michiru-san yet. I'll make sure   
  
Minako-chan finds out before they do."  
  
  
  
The baby monitor on the end of the table alerted Makoto. Her daughter   
  
just woke up from her nap and was now probably hungry. "Uh oh, baby   
  
duty." Makoto arose and headed for her apartment upstairs. Before   
  
leaving, however, she turned to Usagi and grinned, "No wonder you   
  
agreed to baby-sit Sumire. You now need the practice!"  
  
  
  
Ami looked at her watch and stood from her seat as well. "Usagi-chan,   
  
I hate leaving so suddenly. But Hideki and I are having dinner with   
  
Mom tonight. We're finally going to tell her the truth about this."   
  
She pointed to her engagement ring and then smiled. "She's probably   
  
figured it out, though."  
  
  
  
Usagi snickered, "Sure you hate leaving... Goodness knows you rather   
  
spend time with me than that cute fiancé of yours."  
  
  
  
"Usagi-chan, you know I love you." Ami walked up to her and gave her a   
  
hug. "Now make you sure that you make an appointment. I want to see   
  
you sometime this week, okay?"  
  
  
  
"Yes, doctor."  
  
  
  
After Ami left the restaurant, Rei sat next to Usagi on the table.   
  
We've changed so much, she mused. They were no longer schoolgirls   
  
waiting impatiently to grow up, but women living in the read world, and   
  
sometimes wishing they were teenagers again. Yet despite the changes   
  
in their lives -- which ranged from careers to motherhood -- Usagi,   
  
Ami, Rei, Makoto, and Minako were still close friends, perhaps closer   
  
than ever before. And in many instances, their friendship was all they   
  
had. Rei cherished her friends. They were part of her family, and she   
  
hoped nothing would come and take her family away.  
  
  
  
Usagi rested her head on Rei's shoulder. "Rei-chan..." she said, "I'm so   
  
happy about this baby, but I'm also scared to death."  
  
  
  
Rei smiled, "Don't worry, that's normal. Mako-chan and I can tell you   
  
that. And I'm happy for you, Usagi. I know you'll make a great   
  
mother."  
  
  
  
"I hope so. I wasn't exactly the best role model when ChibiUsa was   
  
here."  
  
  
  
"I'm sure this will be a lot different." Rei patted Usagi's now flat   
  
tummy. "A little prince or princess... which do you think it will be?"  
  
  
  
"I don't know, but I think Mamo-chan wants a boy. I know it really   
  
doesn't matter to him, but if he had his way..."  
  
  
  
"Most men want boys," Rei pointed out, "but now Yuuichirou wanted a   
  
girl. Maybe next time we'll have a girl. Of course, next time won't   
  
be for a while..."  
  
  
  
"Well it's a 50/50 chance. If I want a girl and Mamo-chan wants a boy,   
  
then at least one of us will get what we want. I don't really care,   
  
though. I'm just happy I'm pregnant!"  
  
  
  
Makoto entered the kitchen once more. Her six-month-old daughter was   
  
in her arms, now wide-eyed and awake, observing everything going on   
  
around her. The sounds of customers chattering, the chefs cooking   
  
their specialties, the teenager working at the cash register, her   
  
mother's gentle voice... Sumire soon noticed Usagi and pointed at her, a   
  
toothless grin on her face.   
  
  
  
Rei shook her head, laughing. "She always favors Usagi over me..."  
  
  
  
"Hey, sweet pea," Usagi cooed at Sumire. "You want me to hold you?"  
  
  
  
Sumire made a noise that seemed to say, "Yes, please!" Makoto handed   
  
her little girl to Usagi and started cooking. Rei saw it as her cue to   
  
leave. She waved farewell to Usagi and Makoto and left the restaurant,   
  
in hopes to make it home in time to get ready for her evening with her   
  
husband. Usagi headed upstairs to the apartment so Makoto could work   
  
in peace. Sumire was content in Usagi arms, totally fixated with   
  
pulling on her necklace. No doubt she would grow up to love jewelry.  
  
  
  
A dreamy smile etched itself on Usagi's face. Oh yes, she just   
  
couldn't wait for motherhood.  
  
  
  
======  
  
End of Chapter Two  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
07.28.02  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Disclaimer: Sailormoon and the characters of "Bishoujo Senshi   
  
Sailormoon" are property of Takeuchi Naoko, Toei Animation, Kodansha,   
  
etc. "Sleeper" is inspired by the novel "The Most Important Little Boy   
  
in the World" written by Dean Briggs. It is property of the author and   
  
World Publishing. I do no have ownership and I do not make any profits   
  
from the use of Sailormoon or the novel in this fan fiction.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
First of all, many thanks to Meara and Mikazuki for editing and beta-  
  
reading for me. You ladies are the best! And everyone should read   
  
Meara's newest story "The Quest". I can assure you that you will not   
  
be disappointed! :)  
  
  
  
The purpose of chapter two was to give everyone a look into the lives   
  
of the Sailor Senshi as adults. Except for Hotaru, all have graduated   
  
from college. They're no longer schoolgirls, but career women, lovers,   
  
wives, and mothers. That to me is more interesting than a brand new   
  
enemy and battles. I'm sorry if chapter two seemed long and without a   
  
lot of action, though. I promise you that chapter three will be a bit   
  
more entertaining...  
  
  
  
Mikazuki pointed out that Minato-ku Technical College is an actual   
  
school. I had no idea it was! I thought I was being creative. Oh   
  
well, thank you, Mikazuki, for telling me.  
  
  
  
Duke University was chosen for a reason. I happen to be a North   
  
Carolinian and I wanted to bring this fan fiction to my home state.   
  
(It's the closest thing to a self-insert that I'll ever do...) Since   
  
Duke University is famous for its top rated medical center (and for its   
  
basketball team, which I'm a huge fan of -- Go Blue!), I thought it   
  
would be a great setting for the medical seminar. Plus is gives the   
  
story the *international feel* I'm striving for.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Email: masked_maiden@hotmail.com  
  
Web Site: http://miracleromance.cjb.net/ 


	3. Chapter Three: Crossing Borders

Disclaimers and author's notes are at the end of chapter three.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Sleeper  
  
  
  
By: Masked Maiden  
  
  
  
Chapter Three: Crossing Borders  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"What do you mean don't tell them?!"  
  
  
  
Tenoh Haruka's sudden outburst was, to say the very least, expected.   
  
She banged her fist on the kitchen table and started ranting, her   
  
language changing from somewhat offensive to exceedingly vulgar with   
  
every syllable spoken. Michiru caressed her lover's arm and looked up   
  
at her, urging her to sit beside her and calm down.   
  
  
  
"Calm down!?" Haruka snapped. "How am I supposed to calm down?   
  
Setsuna here is telling us that they have no right to know about the   
  
Great Freeze! And that to me is a bunch of bull--"  
  
  
  
"Haruka..." Michiru glared at her with cold, stabbing eyes. "Sit down,"   
  
she ordered.   
  
  
  
Haruka sat down.  
  
  
  
*They* referred to the Inner Senshi and Tuxedo Kamen. The Inner and   
  
Outer Senshi considered themselves two halves of one whole. Both had   
  
their differences; from their tactics in combat to their ideals of   
  
communication. After all, the Outer Senshi tended to do things their   
  
way. Yet the two halves believed in their prince and princess, the   
  
future king and queen, Chiba Mamoru and Usagi. That lone similarity   
  
bound them together, made them an indivisible team, even when all hope   
  
seemed amiss.   
  
  
  
Now with the news of the Great Freeze soon approaching (how soon was   
  
unclear), was all hope lost for the Outer Senshi? That was exactly   
  
what Haruka suspected. Setsuna never mentioned the future, let alone   
  
Crystal Tokyo. Michiru and Hotaru accepted that, for they understood   
  
that the future was to remain unknown. Haruka, however, tried to pry   
  
any information out of the time guardian, but it was to no avail. She   
  
even asked Usagi about Crystal Tokyo, and then point-blank asked her   
  
about the futures of the Outer Senshi. Usagi could only apologize to   
  
Haruka. Her trip to Crystal Tokyo happened before she first met them,   
  
and so it was safe to say they wouldn't have been mentioned. Even the   
  
future's Sailorpluto kept her mouth shut.   
  
  
  
Setsuna arose from her chair and addressed the issue once more. "This   
  
is part of our destiny, Haruka. From what the Time Gate showed me last   
  
night, the Great Freeze has nothing to do with Usagi-chan and the   
  
others."  
  
  
  
"Nothing?" Haruka retorted. "The whole world is going to be a huge   
  
Popsicle for a thousand years and you're saying it has nothing to do   
  
with them?!"   
  
  
  
Setsuna wanted to roll her eyes. "I meant mission wise," she   
  
emphasized. "Usagi-chan, Mamoru-san, and the Senshi are not the ones   
  
who take part in the Great Freeze's initiation. It was never meant to   
  
be that way."  
  
  
  
"So... this is our destiny." Michiru said, mostly to herself. "We're the   
  
ones meant to bring about the Great Freeze."  
  
  
  
"Well, we take part in it."  
  
  
  
"Then who starts it?" Haruka inquired.  
  
  
  
Setsuna deeply exhaled. "I honestly don't know. That information has   
  
been withheld from me." She averted her eyes and stared at Hotaru.   
  
"Did you by any chance recognize those people in your vision last   
  
night?"  
  
  
  
Hotaru pretended to mull over the question for the moment, as if trying   
  
to place names with the faces she saw. "No," she finally said, partly   
  
lying. "I don't know who they were." She hoped that no one could see   
  
through her fib.  
  
  
  
Haruka placed her hands behind her head and her feet on the table.   
  
"All right, so what's our mission, Setsuna?"  
  
  
  
There were very few incidences when Setsuna wanted to lose her temper   
  
and explode. This was one of those incidences. Yes, she was   
  
Sailorpluto, the lone guardian of time with the blood of Cronos running   
  
through her veins. With those fragments of information, everyone   
  
wondered how much she knew about the future. Except from what the Time   
  
Gate revealed to her, which came to her like prophetic visions, Setsuna   
  
knew nothing -- absolutely nothing. So when someone, especially   
  
Haruka, expected her to know everything, she was more than a little   
  
teed off.  
  
  
  
Haruka must have sensed Setsuna's anger, for she went on to say, "Well   
  
I guess it doesn't matter what our mission is. I think all of us will   
  
agree that it shouldn't be ignored."   
  
  
  
"Which is why we shouldn't tell Usagi-chan," Michiru added. Her mind   
  
wandered to the time she and Haruka were searching for the talismans,   
  
and when Sailorsaturn was a threat to them and the world's existence.   
  
It was Usagi who said over and over again that no one needed to be   
  
sacrificed, yet how ironic was it that she was always willing to   
  
sacrifice her own life to save those she loved dearly?   
  
  
  
"It may have worked out last time," Michiru continued, referring to   
  
those memories, "but that doesn't mean it will this time. It's for the   
  
best that we keep this a secret."  
  
  
  
Hotaru nodded along with the other women, yet she did not quite agree.   
  
She knew Usagi. No matter what kind of mess Usagi got herself into,   
  
everything seemed to work out in the end, and perhaps for the better.   
  
Hotaru wouldn't go behind her parents and tell Usagi about the Great   
  
Freeze, but she wondered... What would happen if she did?   
  
  
  
"Speaking of Usagi..." Michiru mentioned waited until she had everyone's   
  
attention. "She called me yesterday." A small smile appeared on her   
  
face. "She's pregnant."  
  
  
  
Haruka snorted. That wasn't exactly great news to her after the   
  
conversation they just had. "Well," she said, "I'm happy for her, but   
  
I hope she has that baby before the world goes to hell."   
  
  
  
~*~*~  
  
  
  
  
  
Winter 2005  
  
Six months later...  
  
  
  
Chiba Usagi lay across her queen-sized bed on her right side, her   
  
pillow elevating her feet. Before her was a small stack of traveling   
  
books she'd checked out of the library that afternoon. They were all   
  
concerning North Carolina, a state in the United States of America.   
  
For the past hour Usagi had done nothing but read.   
  
  
  
Now, the last thing Usagi wanted to do was learn something completely   
  
useless, except maybe during a game of Trivial Pursuit. Yet Usagi   
  
wanted an idea as to where Mamoru was headed tomorrow. She was a bit   
  
protective of her husband, and with good reason. If she couldn't go   
  
with her husband, then she wanted to know *something* about where he   
  
was going to be!  
  
  
  
Mamoru entered their bedroom, wearing an old college T-shirt and a pair   
  
of boxer shorts. He went over to the bed and kissed his wife on the   
  
forehead. She set her book down beside her and returned her husband's   
  
kind gesture with a kiss on the lips.  
  
  
  
"Did you know that Pepsi was invented in the Carolinas?" Usagi wanted   
  
to stump Mamoru.  
  
  
  
Mamoru smiled and played along with her trivia game. "Did you know   
  
that Coca-Cola originally got its name from the small amount of cocaine   
  
in each serving?"  
  
  
  
"Did you know that Michael Jordan and Reverend Billy Graham are both   
  
from North Carolina? So was Ava Gardner, but I never liked her movies   
  
that much."   
  
  
  
"Did you know you're very sexy when you say off-the-wall trivia? It   
  
just turns me on."  
  
  
  
Usagi smirked, "Really? Maybe I should do it more often!"   
  
  
  
Mamoru chuckled and headed for the bathroom adjoined to their bedroom.   
  
Usagi got up from the bed, stretched, stood in front of the mirror   
  
attached to the dresser and stared at her reflection. At six months in   
  
her pregnancy she appeared to have a slightly over-sized basketball   
  
under her pajamas, but she that wouldn't last for very long. Soon her   
  
stomach would resemble a jumbo beach ball.   
  
  
  
"I'm getting fat," she thought aloud, louder than she intended.  
  
  
  
Mamoru, who was brushing his teeth, heard his wife. He spit out the   
  
foamy substance and rinsed his mouth out before replying. "Usako," he   
  
said as he walked out the bathroom, "you're not fat. I happen to think   
  
you're quite beautiful."  
  
  
  
"Oh yeah?" Usagi argued. "Let me tell you what happened today. This   
  
afternoon, when the parents were picking up their kids, one of the   
  
mothers asked me, 'How far along are you?' When I told her she then   
  
asked, 'Oh, are you expecting twins?' I found that rather offensive."  
  
  
  
Mamoru wanted to laugh but fought the urge to do so. "Usako, you're a   
  
little woman. The baby has no where to go but in front."   
  
  
  
"Little? Look at me! I have a feeling I'm going to be a Goodyear   
  
blimp! I'll need a big yellow sign on my butt that says 'wide load' so   
  
people won't bump into me."   
  
  
  
If this is how she is as six months, Mamoru thought to himself, I can   
  
only imagine what she'll be like at nine months. He wrapped his arms   
  
around his wife, placing his hands on her round stomach. "You know,"   
  
he teased, "I think a certain someone woke up on the wrong side of the   
  
bed this morning."   
  
  
  
Usagi shook her head. "No," she corrected, "I woke up in a very good   
  
mood today. It's just that it's very hard to stay in a good mood when   
  
you're racing back and forth to the bathroom and you have thirty kids   
  
to look after. It makes me wonder if the baby is using my bladder as a   
  
chair."   
  
  
  
"Aww..." Mamoru knelt down beside Usagi, cupped his hands around his   
  
mouth like a bullhorn and spoke to their unborn child. "Hello in   
  
there! We love you and we can't wait to meet you, but for now you need   
  
to give Mommy a break. Please, do it for Daddy..."   
  
  
  
Usagi laughed, perhaps for the first time all day. Only her Mamo-chan   
  
could accomplish such a feat.  
  
  
  
"Do you honestly think she'll listen to you?" Usagi asked.  
  
  
  
"You mean he, right?" Mamoru inquired with a curled grin on his face.  
  
  
  
"No, I meant she."  
  
  
  
"Now what if it's a boy?"  
  
  
  
"What if it's a girl?"  
  
  
  
"Usako, can't we just find out?"  
  
  
  
"No, I want to be surprised!"  
  
  
  
Mamoru inwardly groaned. "Well I think it's a boy," he said, wanting   
  
the last word.  
  
  
  
Usagi smiled. Ever since she and her husband found out they were   
  
having a baby, Mamoru had been *secretly* wishing for a boy. Not that   
  
he'd be disappointed if the baby was a girl, but between her and   
  
ChibiUsa and the Sailor Senshi, Usagi figured Mamoru was tired of being   
  
the only male in the group.   
  
  
  
"Well, if it *is* a boy," Usagi suggested, "what do you think we should   
  
name him?"  
  
  
  
Mamoru stood and shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know," he confessed.   
  
"To be honest I once thought we wouldn't have to worry about picking   
  
names. Let's see..." He sat down on the bed and thought for a moment.   
  
"Daisuke?" he suggested.  
  
  
  
Usagi wrinkled her nose. "Too common," she said. "I have two boys   
  
named Daisuke at the daycare."   
  
  
  
"Yeah, you're right..." Mamoru tried to think of another name. How odd   
  
it was that, no matter how many names a person knew, hardly any would   
  
come to mind when he or she tried to think of them. "Yugata? Kaname?"  
  
  
  
Usagi sat down next to her husband and placed her head on his shoulder.   
  
"Would you like to know my choice?" she asked.  
  
  
  
One of Mamoru's eyebrows rose slightly. "I thought you were rooting   
  
for a girl," he remarked.   
  
  
  
"Mamo-chan, you know it doesn't matter to me. As long as the baby is   
  
healthy then I don't care if it's a boy or a girl. But I've been   
  
thinking over some names and I want your opinion on one. How do you   
  
like Hitori?"  
  
  
  
Mamoru's brow rose. "Hitori?" he repeated. "My father's name?"  
  
  
  
Luna, who had been eavesdropping on the couple's conversation for the   
  
whole duration, padded her way into their bedroom. "Royalty oftentimes   
  
named their children after family members," she pointed out. "It was   
  
especially true for the royal moon family." Luna took a second to   
  
recall what she'd just said. "Of course, you're already aware of that   
  
with ChibiUsa..."  
  
  
  
"What do you think, Mamo-chan?" Usagi asked.  
  
  
  
"Well..." Mamoru mulled over the idea for a moment or two. He never   
  
thought about naming his child after his father, a man he wished he   
  
knew and remembered. Along with ChibiUsa and almost believing he and   
  
Usagi wouldn't have another child, Mamoru never thought he'd have the   
  
chance.  
  
  
  
"I like it," he said finally.  
  
  
  
Usagi beamed. "Really?"  
  
  
  
"Mm-hmm."  
  
  
  
Luna hopped onto the bed, circled once and settled down on one of the   
  
corners, feet inward and tail around her. She loved their bed, but   
  
until recently the feline rarely slept in the couple's bedroom for...   
  
well, certain reasons.  
  
  
  
"Well, now that that's settled, I'd like to make a suggestion," Luna   
  
declared. "I suggest that the three of you go to sleep. You have to   
  
be at the airport at eight o'clock, don't you, Mamoru?"  
  
  
  
Usagi whined, "That means I have to set the alarm clock for five... Mamo-  
  
chan, why couldn't you get a later flight?"  
  
  
  
"Because," he stated, "if I changed flights my ticket wouldn't have   
  
been free."  
  
  
  
"Oh... cheapskate."  
  
  
  
Last September Mamoru was invited to partake in an international   
  
medical conference that would be held at Duke University in Durham,   
  
North Carolina, an institution famous for its top rated medical center.   
  
Out of millions of physicians worldwide, only a selected one hundred in   
  
emergency medicine and microbiology were chosen. Consequently, the   
  
main topic for the conference was how to better prepare ER physicians   
  
in case of an epidemic. (Mamoru suspected that the anthrax threats in   
  
America and the six outbreaks of Ebola and Lassa Fever in Europe and   
  
Africa in the past three years had something to do with the   
  
conference.) Mamoru felt honored to be chosen, but he wasn't exactly   
  
thrilled about boarding an airplane. At least this time he wasn't   
  
traveling alone. His brother-in-law was tagging along, in hopes to   
  
write an article on Dr. Stephen Lehmkuhl for the Tokyo Tribune.  
  
  
  
But if fear wasn't a good reason to stay behind - a pregnant wife was.   
  
Whether it was concern or his male ego, Mamoru hated for Usagi to stay   
  
by herself for the next week. Yet if it weren't for her basically   
  
urging him to take this "once in a lifetime" opportunity, he'd stay   
  
home tomorrow. Mamoru had the tendency to learn from the past. When   
  
his life was going better than he ever expected, something always   
  
turned it into a crapshoot. If destiny saw fit, lightening *would*   
  
strike again.   
  
  
  
~*~*~  
  
  
  
Dr. Hu Yen Li enjoyed an evening with a couple of old college friends   
  
at a fancy yet quaint Italian restaurant in Beijing. They dined on   
  
pastas and wine as they discussed the current events, politics, their   
  
careers, and bits and pieces of their personal lives. It was such a   
  
marvelous time, though very short-lived. After he bid farewell to his   
  
friends Hu Yen returned to his pent house, and to his solitude. He   
  
hung his coat on the rack by the door and retired in the living room,   
  
sitting down in front of his computer.  
  
  
  
His mind began to wander. Six months ago two physicians, whose names   
  
were Thilivhali Krynauw and James Sexwale, were killed in the parking   
  
lot of Cape Town University Medical Center by a bomb initiated by the   
  
starting of the engine. The case was eventually dropped. Authorities   
  
never found any suspects, leads, substantial evidence or even a witness   
  
to the crime. Yet one thing was for certain. Whoever killed those   
  
doctors had a purpose, and they successfully completed it.  
  
  
  
Something inside of Hu Yen screamed that the bomb was Dr. Stephen   
  
Lehmkuhl's doing. He knew Stephen was the chief geneticist for the   
  
microbiology department at the medical center. It was possible that an   
  
insider wanted to leak information to the public that concerned his   
  
precious, classified research program. Stephen must have eliminated   
  
that person (and perhaps his accomplice?) before he became a threat to   
  
him.   
  
  
  
Then there was the chief virologist before Sexwale. Supposedly the man   
  
asked to resign from his position, the reasons behind his decision   
  
unknown. But three weeks later, the virologist's lifeless body was   
  
dredged up from Richard's Bay in South Africa. A suicide note was   
  
later found in his apartment. Hu Yen suspected that was Stephen's   
  
doing as well. Whoever became anything of a threat to his greater plan   
  
was immediately disposed of.  
  
  
  
Hu Yen knew he was next.  
  
  
  
Stephen had told him five years ago.   
  
  
  
Oh, yes he did. He regretted ever knowing Stephen Lehmkuhl. If Hu Yen   
  
could go back in time and do anything over again, he would have never   
  
gone to New York and we would have never made that business deal with   
  
that foreigner. He should have closed the doors to his laboratories   
  
and gone back to his private practice at the abortion clinic.  
  
  
  
Hu Yen logged onto his email account and took out a folded slip of   
  
paper from his coat pocket. He then unlocked one of the desk drawers   
  
and retrieved a disc, placing it inside his computer's CD-ROM drive.   
  
Stephen had used his laboratory long enough. When Hu Yen was tired of   
  
the many unanswered questions, he started his own investigation.   
  
  
  
The email address of a young Japanese reporter was written on the slip   
  
of paper. His name was Tsukino Shingo. Hu Yen only knew of his   
  
reputation, a rising star bound to become one of the top journalists in   
  
the Orient. That was quite an accomplishment in itself, especially for   
  
someone at 24 years of age.  
  
  
  
A zipped file had been saved on the disc, which contained more than   
  
enough documents and photographs that proved the existence of Sleeper.   
  
Hu Yen hurriedly wrote a brief message to the journalist and attached   
  
the file. Then he waited for the file to upload, becoming more anxious   
  
with each passing second. Once the email was sent, Hu Yen shut off his   
  
computer without so much as signing off the Internet.  
  
  
  
"Hu Yen."  
  
  
  
Hu Yen jerked in his chair, startled. He searched for the source of   
  
the tantalizing voice and soon noticed the silhouette of a woman cast   
  
upon the wall. Rising from his seat Hu Yen turned around and saw an   
  
Asian beauty standing before him. She smiled smugly at him, looked at   
  
him, like a lioness studying his prey.  
  
  
  
"Who are you?" Hu Yen demanded to know.  
  
  
  
The woman ignored him. "I have a message for you," she stated. "Your   
  
assistance with the purging of mankind has served its purpose.   
  
Children of Mother Earth would like to extend their gratitude."  
  
  
  
She took the handgun from her clutch purse and fired each bullet at the   
  
victim. Hu Yen fell back, collapsing onto the floor and soon covered   
  
by a pool of crimson blood. During his last minutes of life he cursed   
  
Stephen Lehmkuhl's name, and he silently cried. Why did it always have   
  
to be him...?   
  
  
  
~*~*~  
  
  
  
Though it was nearing midnight and Tsukino Shingo had to leave for the   
  
airport at six o'clock the next morning, he was still wide-awake. He   
  
sat in the living room of his and Mika's apartment with his laptop,   
  
browsing through the World Wide Web. His earphones were plugged into   
  
his computer, blaring out the music on his favorite mix CD.  
  
  
  
It's the end of the world as we know it  
  
It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine...   
  
  
  
  
  
Shingo logged onto the Center of Disease Control and Prevention web   
  
site for information on viral hemorrhagic fever diseases, a subject he   
  
thought he'd never hear about outside his tenth grade biology class.   
  
He still remembered that video on the Ebola virus. Villagers in Africa   
  
dying horrific deaths, the mass graves, the extremes that doctors went   
  
through to protect themselves from infection... it made Shingo very   
  
thankful that he followed his father's footsteps and went into   
  
journalism.   
  
  
  
The reason, or person, behind Shingo's interest in VHF diseases was the   
  
man he wished to interview when he traveled to America the next day   
  
with his brother-in-law. Dr. Stephen Lehmkuhl was the chief geneticist   
  
for Cape Town University Medical Center in South Africa. Lehmkuhl was   
  
considered a revered man. For over 12 years he had funded and headed   
  
the research program that was to unlock the mysteries behind the VHF   
  
diseases, and hopefully create antidotes for each one. With the recent   
  
Lassa Fever outbreak in Egypt, a feature story on the man who could   
  
possibly one day hold the future cure was perfect for the Tokyo   
  
Tribune. At least that's what Shingo and his boss believed. But if   
  
Shingo could not interview the geneticist, an article on VHF diseases   
  
and the recent outbreak was sufficient enough.   
  
  
  
Shingo wanted that interview. It was his ticket to a raise.  
  
  
  
An irritating chime, followed by a miniature pop-up screen, announced   
  
that Shingo had a new email in his inbox. He looked at the sender's   
  
name and decided to ignore it, exiting out of MSN Messenger(tm). He   
  
didn't know a Hu Yen Li, nor did he care to be introduced. Probably   
  
just another perverted mind sending him porno...  
  
  
  
The CDC web site provided extensive information on several types of VHF   
  
diseases. Since Lassa Fever was the latest news-breaking virus, Shingo   
  
clinked on a link that directed him to more facts on a single disease   
  
than he ever thought possible. He scanned over the web page and typed   
  
notes in his Microsoft Word(tm) program along the way. Some of the   
  
medical jargon was gibberish to him, so Shingo typed a quick reminder   
  
to ask Mamoru about Bio-Safety Level 4, enzyme-linked immunosorbent   
  
serologic assays (ELISA for short), and IgM and IgG antibodies. (It was   
  
so nice to have a doctor in the family.) But the statistics, which   
  
Shingo was most interested in, were up front and easy to comprehend.  
  
  
  
"Approximately 10 to 16 percent of people admitted to   
  
hospitals in areas of Sierra Leone and Liberia have Lassa   
  
Fever. 15 to 20 percent of those hospitalized patients die   
  
from the illness. Death rates are particularly high for   
  
women in third trimester of pregnancy. 95 percent of   
  
fetuses die in the uterus of infected mothers. All of   
  
these estimates are known to rise during a massive   
  
epidemic."  
  
  
  
As Shingo highlighted that brief paragraph to copy it to his notes, the   
  
web page disappeared. A computerized voice said "Sayonara!" as he was   
  
brought back to the sign-on screen. Shingo suddenly felt as if someone   
  
was watching him. He looked over his shoulder. There was Mika in her   
  
nightshirt and bathrobe, holding the phone line that connected his   
  
laptop to the jack. She did not look happy.  
  
  
  
"Do you know what time it is?" she interrogated.   
  
  
  
Shingo looked at the clock on his computer screen. His eyes grew wide   
  
from shock. "Whoa... it's 12:27!"  
  
  
  
"That's right. Shingo, you don't even have five hours to sleep!   
  
You're going to drive Mamoru crazy on that plane tomorrow!"  
  
  
  
"Aww, babe, don't worry. I'll get enough sleep."  
  
  
  
Mika huffed and placed her hands on her hips. Oh sure, she mentally   
  
jeered, and you'll be a barrel of monkeys when I wake you up. Mika   
  
slept with the sheet-hogger. She knew exactly how Shingo behaved early   
  
in the morning -- just like his sister.   
  
  
  
~*~*~  
  
  
  
"Mankind is incapable of a transformation."  
  
  
  
With his body undergoing the effects of jet lag and several sleepless   
  
nights Stephen was exhausted from traveling, yet he was quite content   
  
with his Asian beauty sitting next to him. The two companions enjoyed   
  
a limousine ride through the bustling streets of Hong Kong, the windows   
  
rolled down, taking in the sights of the nightlife.   
  
  
  
Hoshino Atsuko was his Asian beauty, who was an ethereal specimen of   
  
living and breathing denial. She viewed herself as more than Stephen's   
  
companion and that much was true, yet Atsuko believed she the only one   
  
free of his enchanting spell, the only one without a string around her   
  
finger. Stephen knew otherwise. Atsuko was chained to him. She was   
  
his most willing disciple, his Aphrodite that he toyed with. From her   
  
actions to her emotions, he bore control of it all.   
  
  
  
Atsuko rested her head on Stephen's shoulder. "Perhaps it's true for   
  
mankind in general," she contradicted, "but we have evolved. We are   
  
the ones who know and feel the needs of Mother Earth. We are the ones   
  
who will be Mother Earth's saviors."  
  
  
  
Stephen sighed, somewhat disgusted. "No," he deadpanned as he gazed at   
  
the people outside. "We are just like them. All of mankind is nothing   
  
but a mass of wretched creatures."  
  
  
  
"Well, you stick to your opinions and I'll stick to mine." Atsuko sat   
  
straight up in her seat and smiled at Stephen. "At least we believe in   
  
our mission. Mother Earth will not have to worry about the wretched   
  
creatures for long."   
  
  
  
The chauffeur drove into a dark alley and parked the limousine. He   
  
exited the vehicle and opened the door for Stephen and Atsuko. The two   
  
companions walked towards a rusted metal door, hidden from the streets   
  
by the dumpster beside it. Stephen banged on the door three times, the   
  
signal he was requested to use. A boyish-appearing male looked through   
  
the keyhole, just as a precaution, and opened the door.  
  
  
  
"Good evening, Dr. Lehmkuhl," the young man greeted respectively. "And   
  
good evening to you, Ms. Hoshino. How may I help you?"  
  
  
  
Stephen returned the gesture with a simple, though polite nod. "I am   
  
merely here to pick up my order. Were you able to follow the list of   
  
directions I gave you?"  
  
  
  
The apothecary grinned. "Of course I was, though I must admit that it   
  
was one of my more peculiar orders. But no matter, your potassium   
  
chloride has been packaged just as you have requested."  
  
  
  
~*~*~  
  
  
  
Tokyo International Airport teemed with thousands of lives, even in the   
  
early hours of mornings. People arrived and departed, passing through   
  
the guarded glass doors, carrying from backpacks to complete sets of   
  
luggage, and each with a different destination in mind. They were   
  
businessmen, honeymooners, vacationers, high school and college   
  
students traveling abroad, tourists, and even missionaries from foreign   
  
lands. These people stood, drifted around, read newspapers, checked   
  
their watches, ate, and slept. They listened to music, tended to   
  
crying babies, called their spouses, went to restrooms, bought last   
  
minute tickets, and dashed to gates before their planes left. They   
  
minded their own business, ignoring those around them, especially a   
  
couple who was saying their good-byes.  
  
  
  
Mamoru set his suitcase down for a moment and kissed his wife farewell.   
  
"I'll see you next week," he promised her.  
  
  
  
"You better," Usagi half ordered, half teased. "I don't need for you   
  
to die on me again."  
  
  
  
Shingo shook his head and threw his tote bag over his shoulder. From   
  
the several trips he'd taken over the years he learned how to travel   
  
light. Everything he would need for next week was crammed into one   
  
piece of luggage.   
  
  
  
"Don't make fun of them," Mika reminded her husband.   
  
  
  
The blond man eyed his wife and broke into a smile. "If you give me a   
  
kiss I'll behave."  
  
  
  
"Yeah right, but I'll kiss you anyway." Mika wrapped her arms around   
  
Shingo's shoulders and gave him a smooch on the lips. "Try not to get   
  
into too much trouble while you're away."  
  
  
  
"Yes, ma'am!" Shingo grabbed Mamoru's suitcase and slapped him across   
  
the back with his free hand. "Hey, don't worry, Baka," he addressed   
  
his sister, "I'll protect your hubby."  
  
  
  
Usagi raised an eyebrow. "Great, I may never see him again."  
  
  
  
An announcement was made over the airport's intercom system, informing   
  
that all passengers for Flight 66 to New York City were now able to   
  
board. Mamoru and Shingo were among those passengers. There were no   
  
non-stop flights to North Carolina, so there was a layover before they   
  
reached RDU International Airport.  
  
  
  
The two men headed for the designated gate, though Mamoru stopped for   
  
once second more. He looked over his shoulder at Usagi, a faint smile   
  
on his face. "Next week," he assured. "When I get back I'll take you   
  
out to eat."  
  
  
  
Usagi beamed, grinning from ear to ear. "It's a deal!" she agreed, and   
  
she waved goodbye to her husband and brother.  
  
  
  
It was essential for her to put on a smile. She recalled how she cried   
  
the last time she saw Mamoru off. But this time will be different, she   
  
told herself. This time she would fight her tears until Mamoru's plane   
  
was airborne. Her husband did not need to see her cry. After all, it   
  
was only for one week. Before Usagi knew it, she would be back in her   
  
arms again.  
  
  
  
Mika placed a consoling hand on her sister-in-law's shoulder. "Usagi-  
  
chan, are you okay?" she asked.  
  
  
  
Tears began to fall down Usagi's cheeks as her husband disappeared in   
  
the crowd. She gazed at Mika and finally confessed, "I don't want him   
  
to go..."  
  
  
  
Mika embraced Usagi, allowing all the teardrops to stain her shirt and   
  
all the pent up turmoil and fear to breakout. Usagi silently vowed to   
  
have a smile on her face when she picked her husband up next week. And   
  
by next week, she would have every reason to smile.  
  
  
  
======  
  
End of Chapter Three  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
08.06.02  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Disclaimer: Sailormoon and the characters of "Bishoujo Senshi   
  
Sailormoon" are property of Takeuchi Naoko, Toei Animation, Kodansha,   
  
etc. "Sleeper" is inspired by the novel "The Most Important Little Boy   
  
in the World" written by Dean Briggs. It is property of the author and   
  
Word Publishing. I do not have ownership and I do not make any profits   
  
from the use of Sailormoon or the novel in this fan fiction.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
First of all, the mysterious conversation between Stephen Lehmkuhl and   
  
Hoshino Atsuko was influenced by a scene from chapter one of the novel   
  
"The Most Important Little Boy in the World." It was not plagiarized.   
  
I repeat: It was *not* plagiarized.  
  
  
  
Everyone should know who Michael Jordan and Rev. Billy Graham are, but   
  
many of you may not know Ava Gardner. She was a popular actress during   
  
the 1940s and 1950s. A very beautiful woman, but I don't know anything   
  
about her acting skills. I've never seen any of her movies.  
  
  
  
The song Shingo is listening to is "End of the World" by REM.   
  
  
  
Just to make it clear, MSN Messenger and Microsoft Word are copyrighted   
  
(c) Microsoft Corporation. I don't own these programs. And Shingo's   
  
Internet provider is a spoof on America Online, copyrighted (c) America   
  
Online Inc. I don't own that, either.  
  
  
  
I actually did go to the CDC web site for the information on Lassa   
  
Fever. The brief paragraph on the statistics is not a direct quote,   
  
however; it is a summarization.   
  
  
  
Because I start college August 21, I don't know when chapter four will   
  
be posted. College is a brand new world for me, and so I'm going to   
  
have to make a lot of adjustments; I have to organize my time and get   
  
used to living away from home. So please bear with me. If you don't   
  
hear from me for a while, I'm not dead. I'm just busy with schoolwork   
  
and the choir! So just remember that chapter four will be out as soon   
  
as possible.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Email: masked_maiden@hotmail.com  
  
Web Site: http://miracleromance.cjb.net/ 


	4. Chapter Four: Bad Dreams

Disclaimers and author's notes are at the end of chapter four.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Sleeper  
  
  
  
By: Masked Maiden  
  
  
  
Chapter Four: Bad Dreams  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The steam thickened into an opaque fog that wholly enveloped the   
  
desolated and deserted city. In the manner of a blind woman she felt   
  
her way through the moisture, soon coming across the two silhouettes,   
  
one male and one female. And though she was once again unable to see   
  
their faces, she watched them intently. They joined hands and kissed   
  
as lovers would, soon floating high above Tokyo's mighty skyscrapers.   
  
A ball of golden light engulfed their bodies, its brilliance causing   
  
the fog to dissipate. As the freezing winds blew and collided with the   
  
rising tsunami of seawaters, the entire world turned into ice…  
  
  
  
"She's hiding something."  
  
  
  
Hotaru stirred under her bedcovers and woke up to Michiru's soft voice.   
  
She and Haruka were across the hall in their bedroom, and whom they   
  
were talking about was no mystery to Hotaru. Even now, when she was   
  
only two semesters away from graduating from college, her foster   
  
parents assumed that she never heard their secret conversations about   
  
their only daughter.   
  
  
  
"What makes you think that?" asked Haruka. From the tone of her voice   
  
Hotaru imagined Haruka lying on her side, buried under her comforter   
  
and waiting for Michiru to stop talking so she could go to sleep.   
  
  
  
"Hotaru tells us very little about the visions she's been having,"   
  
Michiru replied. "It makes me wonder if she does know who initiates   
  
the Great Freeze."   
  
  
  
"I'm sure Hotaru will share with us when she wants to, but maybe she's   
  
supposed to know and we're not. She's the one who's having the vision,   
  
not us and not even Setsuna."  
  
  
  
The mattress springs squeaked as Michiru crawled into bed beside her   
  
partner. "Maybe you're right," she sighed, "but I can tell that   
  
something is bothering her. I wish she would just tell me."  
  
  
  
Hotaru grabbed her pillow and covered her ears, hoping to drown out her   
  
parents' voices. It was too much. While their faces were hidden from   
  
her in the vision, Hotaru knew that woman. The outline of her hair and   
  
her sailor fuku were enough to reveal her identity. But she wouldn't   
  
tell anyone. She couldn't. For if the rest of the Outer Senshi knew   
  
the woman's identity, it would change everything.   
  
  
  
~*~*~  
  
  
  
The next day…  
  
  
  
Tokyo, Japan  
  
3:00 PM   
  
  
  
Patience was a virtue, or so Usagi was told. She was about to accept   
  
the face that patience was not a virtue she possessed, or at least when   
  
it came to waiting to find out her baby's gender. The conversation she   
  
had with her husband two nights ago only fueled her curiosity, a   
  
curiosity she had successfully deferred until now. The suspense was   
  
getting the best of her. She just had to know: was it a boy or girl?  
  
  
  
"Chiba Usagi-san?"  
  
  
  
Usagi looked up from the magazine she was absently staring at. A nurse   
  
with a chart in her hand stood by the doorway leading to the   
  
examination rooms, waiting for the next patient. Usagi arose from her   
  
chair (which was low and difficult for a pregnant woman to get out of)   
  
and followed the nurse to a vacant room. The nurse took her vitals,   
  
wrote them down in the chart and then left, telling Usagi that the   
  
doctor would be with her shortly. Usagi laughed to herself. She knew   
  
Ami would never purposely make any of her patients wait, but she also   
  
knew that her wait would not be a short one.  
  
  
  
As Usagi gave a loud, impatient sigh there was a soft knock at the   
  
door. Ami stepped inside, a warm and apologetic smile on her face, and   
  
greeted her friend with a hug.  
  
  
  
"So… where in the world is Mamoru-kun?" Ami asked.   
  
  
  
Usagi laughed. "Mamo-chan and Shingo had a four-hour layover in New   
  
York late last night, so they should be arriving in North Carolina any   
  
time this afternoon. But it'll be morning to them since there's a 13-  
  
hour time difference."  
  
  
  
Usagi made Mamoru take his wrist communicator with him, telling him to   
  
contact her the moment he was back in the air. So once Mamoru boarded   
  
his plane in New York, and after the pilot announced that all   
  
passengers were free to move around, Mamoru headed for one of the   
  
lavatories and locked the door behind him. He called Usagi and told   
  
her everything was okay. "So don't worry about me," he told her. That   
  
was roughly an hour ago. The next time Usagi expected to hear from   
  
Mamoru would be when he landed in North Carolina, which would be any   
  
minute now. Usagi's communicator was in her purse, just in case.  
  
  
  
"Well, let's see what this baby is up to." Ami rolled the ultrasound   
  
machine towards her and turned it on. "Lie down and raise your shirt   
  
for me, Usagi-chan."  
  
  
  
Ami found the bottle of clear gel and squeezed a small amount on her   
  
friend's round belly, smiling at her reaction to the very cold matter.   
  
She then took the transducer and slid it around until a grainy black   
  
and white picture of a baby's profile came into view. Usagi stared at   
  
the screen, completely amazed. That was her child. She just couldn't   
  
wait for the day she could hold her or him in her arms.  
  
  
  
"Can you tell if it's a boy or a girl?" Usagi asked.  
  
  
  
Ami replied, "I thought you wanted to be surprised."  
  
  
  
"I changed my mind…" Besides, she mused, it gives me something to tease   
  
Mamo-chan with until he comes home. "So, can you tell me?"  
  
  
  
"Well, let's see…" Ami gradually moved the transducer as she tried to   
  
decipher the baby's gender. Her eyes soon widened in astonishment.  
  
  
  
"Oh my God!"  
  
  
  
Usagi raised an eyebrow, not quite knowing that to think. "What is   
  
it?" she asked the obstetrician.  
  
  
  
Ami wheeled around on her stool so her friend could have a better view.   
  
She pointed to a small form located off center on the screen. "Right   
  
here you can see your baby's profile. And right here…" She pointed to   
  
a round area close to the baby's feet. "… You can clearly see your   
  
other baby's head."  
  
  
  
Usagi's mouth gaped open. "What…?" She stared at the grainy picture   
  
and could clearly see the outlines of the two babies, her babies. She   
  
disbelieved yet believed with her eyes at the same, overwhelmed with   
  
such pure joy. After all those years of trying to have a baby, this   
  
was a wonderful surprise!  
  
  
  
"Oh my goodness… Twins! Mamo-chan is going to flip out!"   
  
  
  
"Would you still like to know the sexes?" Ami asked, though already   
  
knowing the answer to the question.  
  
  
  
Usagi wiped away the tears from her eyes and broke in a huge grin. "Of   
  
course!"  
  
  
  
~*~*~  
  
  
  
Durham, North Carolina  
  
9:00 AM EST  
  
  
  
  
Located on campus of Duke University was the Washington Duke Inn,   
  
Durham's only four-star and four-diamond hotel. Four the next six days   
  
and five nights the one hundred microbiologists and emergency room   
  
physicians invited to the medical conference would lodge there and   
  
attend the seminars held in the meeting hall. It was an exquisite   
  
building, but the moment Mamoru and Shingo stepped into their hotel   
  
room, they immediately knew there was going to be a problem.  
  
  
  
Shingo pointed out, "There's only one bed."   
  
  
  
Mamoru swore under his breath. He had made all the arrangements for   
  
Shingo to travel with him that week, and so he had certainly informed   
  
the hotel manager months in advance that he would need a room with   
  
*two* beds. Now what were they going to do? Mamoru did love his   
  
brother-in-law, but not enough to sleep with him!  
  
  
  
"Well we can forget asking for another room," Shingo commented. "With   
  
this conference taking place I imagine all the rooms are booked. We're   
  
going to have to ask for a cot."  
  
  
  
Mamoru shook his head and grumbled, "No wonder that lady at the front   
  
desk looked at us funny…"  
  
  
  
"Hey, don't worry about it." Shingo walked over to the telephone and   
  
searched through the nightstand drawer for a list of phone numbers.   
  
"You call Baka and I'll call the front desk. It shouldn't be too hard   
  
to get some service around here." He looked up at Mamoru with his   
  
famous mischievous grin on his face. "So what should I say? Hello, my   
  
partner and I--"  
  
  
  
"Shingo, you're pushing it," Mamoru warned. "Keep this up and one of   
  
us will need a coffin instead of a cot."   
  
  
  
"Okay, okay, I'll be serious."  
  
  
  
Mamoru sighed in frustration and sat down on the edge of the bed. He   
  
took out his wrist communicator from his pants pocket and flipped it   
  
open, yawning as he did so. He had to envy his brother-in-law. Shingo   
  
was used to traveling. He'd slept through half the flight to New York   
  
and through the entire flight to North Carolina. Mamoru, though he   
  
tried, couldn't even relax. He just managed to make it through the   
  
trip without losing his mind (and his lunch when the second landing was   
  
a tad bumpy). Mamoru pressed a button on the communicator and waited   
  
for his wife to answer.  
  
  
  
Usagi's beautiful face appeared on the tiny screen. Just seeing her   
  
with her cheerful smile lifted Mamoru's spirits and washed away part of   
  
his fatigue, and it made him wonder how he was going to cope without   
  
for an entire week.  
  
  
"Hi, sweetie!" Usagi chimed. "How is everything?"  
  
  
  
Mamoru faintly smiled and replied, "Hey… We're at the hotel. Shingo   
  
and I just stepped our room a few minutes ago. How is everything with   
  
you?"  
  
  
  
"Great! I did start to worry about you when I didn't hear from you   
  
around four, but I figured you wanted to wait until you got to the   
  
hotel before calling me. But anyway… how's Shingo?"  
  
  
"He's driving me crazy," Mamoru rolled his eyes. He suppressed his   
  
laughter when he noticed that Shingo was giving him the finger.   
  
  
  
"Don't worry, you'll learn to ignore him," Usagi assured. Then she   
  
paused for a moment, as if she were mulling over what to say next.   
  
With that her smile brightened, now with a mischievous glint, causing   
  
Mamoru to become somewhat suspicious.  
  
  
  
"Guess what!"   
  
  
  
"I don't know," Mamoru gave up easily, not really wanting to play   
  
along. "What?" He wondered if he really needed to ask. At this time   
  
in their lives, there was only one thing Usagi would tease him about.  
  
  
  
Usagi taunted in a sing-song voice, "I know something you don't know."  
  
  
  
Now his suspicions were confirmed. "Usako, you didn't…"  
  
  
  
"I did!"  
  
  
  
"Well you're going to tell me, aren't you?"  
  
  
  
"Maybe… Or maybe not."  
  
  
  
"Usako, don't you dare tease me. If I remember correctly, I'm the one   
  
who wants to know if the baby is a boy or a girl. You didn't want to   
  
know. You wanted to be surprised."  
  
  
  
"I changed my mind."  
  
  
  
"Well, now that you know I think you should tell me… please?" Mamoru   
  
couldn't believe how desperate he sounded. He looked over at Shingo   
  
was more, who was now on the phone with someone at the front desk. He   
  
turned his attention back to the communicator's screen. "Please,   
  
Usako?"  
  
  
  
Usagi merely giggled. "Bye, Mamo-chan!" she said, and signed off.   
  
  
  
~*~*~  
  
  
  
1:00 PM EST  
  
  
  
The central building of Duke University's campus was its chapel, a   
  
majestic and gothic-influenced structure that towered over its   
  
surroundings. That was the intention of the university's founder, a   
  
man who believed that the chapel would have a profound impact on the   
  
spiritual lives of those who attended the school and those who lived in   
  
the neighboring communities. Since its dedication ceremony in 1935 the   
  
Duke Chapel had served the community through providing opportunities of   
  
worship, Bible Studies, outreach programs, weddings, funerals, concert   
  
festivals, convocations and even graduation ceremonies.   
  
  
  
But it was never intended to house a meeting of destruction.  
  
  
  
Stephen stood in the nave of the chapel, gazing at the massive stained-  
  
glass windows. His attention was focused on one of the chapel's most   
  
famous windows. It depicted the story of Noah and the Ark. Stephen   
  
knew that tales quite well from his childhood days of being dragged to   
  
church by his parents. God saw how wicked and depraved His creation   
  
called Man had become. He soon regretted ever making Man and planned   
  
to wipe out the entire populace of Earth, including all animals. But   
  
there was Noah, the sole righteous person on Earth, and he found favor   
  
with God. Because of Noah, with his ark and animals two-by-two, Man   
  
and all creatures continued to live on Earth to this day.   
  
  
  
Stephen didn't like Noah.  
  
  
  
A small group of college students walked past Stephen and headed for   
  
the main entrance. Though it was mid-February the day's temperature   
  
was in the low 70s. Since it was such a beautiful, sunlit afternoon,   
  
the group decided to have their Bible study outside on the grass. It   
  
was for the best, Stephen thought. Except for the minister, who was in   
  
his study, there was no one to disturb him.   
  
  
  
Stephen glared at the stained glass window one last time and strolled   
  
down the nave, soon entering into the south transept of the grand   
  
sanctuary. Between the Memorial Chapel and the lectern was a stairwell   
  
leading to the Crypt, the place where the secret meeting of C.O.M.E.   
  
was about to begin.  
  
  
  
C.O.M.E. -- Children of Mother Earth -- was a secret organization   
  
comprised of 12 radical visionaries, all of who considered themselves   
  
to be the bright beacon of hope for the future. They gathered around   
  
the 30 or so chairs in the dimly lit Crypt and conversed amongst each   
  
other, all speaking in English. With two exceptions, the men and women   
  
were between the ages of 20 and 35. One of the exceptions was a 16-  
  
year-old runaway from Romania, who currently lived with one of the   
  
older members. The other exception was the uncharted 13th member, Dr.   
  
Stephen Lehmkuhl of Johannesburg, South Africa. He was the oldest   
  
member of C.O.M.E., its founder and its leader.   
  
  
  
To the public eye Stephen was considered a miracle worker, for he   
  
funded and headed the research program that searched for the antidotes   
  
for viral hemorrhagic fever diseases, such as Ebola and Lassa. Yet   
  
during those 12 years of research there was little documentation of   
  
Stephen's findings. Nothing was published in the most prestigious of   
  
medical journals, and the media hounds were only given a few pages of   
  
notes to go by for all newspaper articles and special TV reports. Most   
  
people assumed Stephen was a paranoid man: he did not wish for his   
  
discoveries to be seized by terrorists.   
  
  
  
In reality, he and the C.O.M.E. were the terrorists. There were no   
  
antidotes, only the terminal disease known as Sleeper. After seven   
  
years of studying the basic structures of VHF diseases, from their   
  
physical appearances to their genetic makeup, followed by five years of   
  
creating and perfecting a genetically engineered version of Lassa   
  
Fever, Sleeper was now ready to be unleashed… whether the world was   
  
ready or not.  
  
  
  
A Brazilian man asked his confidants, "Has anyone thought about the   
  
reason why the university is sponsoring this medical seminar?"  
  
  
  
"I certainly have," a college student from Chicago remarked, "and it's   
  
ironic. It's to protect themselves from being eliminated, yet there   
  
will be no way of protecting anyone when Sleeper is released."  
  
  
  
"A man can only hide in his home for a short time," added a Russian   
  
woman. "He may survive for a couple of months, but eventually Sleeper   
  
will infect the very air he breathes. No one shall escape."  
  
  
  
"How very true," Stephen agreed. He stepped out of the blanketing   
  
shadows cast by the stairwell and entered the Crypt. As he walked to   
  
his disciples their conversation ceased. Every eye and all attention   
  
were directed towards him.  
  
  
  
"Before I call this meeting into order, let me set aside a moment for   
  
those who waver. This is the time for you to back down, if that is   
  
what you wish. And if that is your decision, I ask for you to leave   
  
immediately."   
  
  
  
No one moved. The idea of leaving was considered a blasphemy, for it   
  
would mean regretting the one thing they believed in. Yet the leader   
  
stared at the Romanian teenager, hoping to lock eyes with him. There   
  
was something about Bodgar that made Stephen… cautious.   
  
  
  
"Very well," Stephen broke the silence. "Atsuko, dear, do you have the   
  
tickets?"  
  
  
  
"They're right here." Atsuko produced 13 plane tickets from her clutch   
  
purse, each with a name and a different destination written on them.   
  
She passed them out to their assigned owners and kept hers.  
  
  
  
"Miguel and Katrien," Stephen asked the Brazilian and the Russian, "do   
  
you have the backpacks?"  
  
  
  
Both radicals nodded their heads. "We placed them at the end of the   
  
stairs," Miguel said. "Each of us can pick one up on our way out when   
  
the meeting has ended."  
  
  
  
An Aussie pointed to the pile of backpacks and smirked, "Hey, mates,   
  
wouldn't it something if one of those cans inside went off?"  
  
  
  
Everyone was aware that the joke was intended to lighten the mood, yet   
  
it was hard to find humor in their consecrated mission. A couple of   
  
scattered chuckles were all that was heard. Stephen cleared his throat   
  
to regain the floor.  
  
  
  
"I want us all to remember our mission until the very end. Mother   
  
Earth has given birth to life for over six thousands years. Now is the   
  
time to relieve her from all her heavy burdens, even if it means   
  
martyrdom. Her children have taken her for granted, us included. They   
  
have abused her, despite all of her sacrifices. She is tired,   
  
depleted, and needs rest and solitude. Mother must be saved and her   
  
wretched, spoiled children must be aborted. We, the Children of Mother   
  
Earth, are now the arbiters of life, and we choose for Mother to live."   
  
  
  
The radicals chorused, "Long live Mother!"  
  
  
  
~*~*~  
  
  
Tokyo, Japan  
  
4:15 PM  
  
  
  
Artemis loved Mondays, for he had the entire apartment to himself until   
  
Minako came home from work. He yawned and stretched his front paws,   
  
sharp claws digging into Minako's new and expensive floral bedspread.   
  
It was one of those long and lazy wintry days, when a person wanted to   
  
do nothing but sleep late, lounge around the bedroom or living room and   
  
order pizza instead of cook. That also included white kitty cats with   
  
crescent moon insignias on their foreheads.   
  
  
  
Of course, Artemis couldn't exactly order pizza but there was a   
  
leftover slice in the refrigerator. He made the mental note to eat it   
  
before Minako got her "paws" on it, but right now he was going to take   
  
a nap. Luna had just left a few minutes and informed him that Usagi   
  
was having not one, but two babies. Artemis couldn't tell if Luna was   
  
excited or only pretending for Usagi's sake. (Females of all species   
  
were near to impossible to understand.) Perhaps it was a mixture of   
  
both. In the histories of the Silver Millennium and the Golden   
  
Kingdom, the royal families never had a set of twins.  
  
  
  
Just what we need, Artemis silently jeered: something else to worry   
  
about. But the news of twins did bring up a few speculations. If   
  
ChibiUsa was the inheritor of the Ginzuishou then who would inherit the   
  
Kinzuishou? Someone had to. Was it one of the twins, or perhaps both?   
  
The guardian cat didn't know the genders of the twins because Usagi was   
  
keeping it a secret from everyone until Mamoru came home. (In fact,   
  
only he, Luna, and Ami even knew about the twins.) And when it came to   
  
the two elusive crystals, gender did make a difference.  
  
  
  
Or did it? Artemis always assumed that the Ginzuishou was "feminine"   
  
while the Kinzuishou was "masculine." That kept the powers of Earth   
  
and the moon in balance, and that was essential since their kingdoms   
  
were once so close together, at least in distance. Then again, he   
  
could be wrong. In the great scheme of things, what did he know?   
  
  
  
Artemis rolled onto his side and deeply exhaled. It was difficult to   
  
decipher the future when he remembered so little of his past. Luna   
  
knew less than he did, and perhaps it was for the better. When she   
  
broke the news to him, Artemis recalled an ancient superstition that   
  
the Golden Kingdom populace heavily believed in. Identical twins were   
  
considered to be freaks of nature, second class citizens. Families of   
  
nobility would have the second twin murdered minutes after birth, just   
  
to uphold their honor. Those from families of poverty were simply cast   
  
out of the community.   
  
  
  
This was not something Artemis would ever share with Usagi, or anyone   
  
else for that matter. But one thing's for certain, Artemis concluded.   
  
Those twins would never know how lucky they were to be born in the 21st   
  
century, and to have parents like Mamoru and Usagi.  
  
  
  
~*~*~  
  
  
  
Durham, North Carolina  
  
5:00 PM EST  
  
  
  
The enemy silently lurked amongst the blanketing shadows before it   
  
screeched and leapt towards his wife, grasping her, a hand around her   
  
neck and a hand upon her round stomach. Mamoru charged towards the   
  
phantom, yelling Usagi's name, yet it seemed the hallways was unending.   
  
The more he ran, the farther away he was from the only family he had.   
  
Still he persisted.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Hey, Mamoru!"  
  
  
  
Shingo watched his brother-in-law jump ten feet off the bed, and   
  
practically out of his skin. It's just as well, Shingo mused. He'd   
  
been trying to wake Mamoru up for the past minute or so. Usagi said   
  
that her husband was a light sleeper, but this contradicted her   
  
statement. It made Shingo speculate… For a moment it was as if sleep   
  
refused to let Mamoru go, but why?  
  
  
  
"What do you want?" Mamoru asked, sounding perturbed.  
  
  
  
"Don't get mad at me," Shingo fended, "I'm doing what you told me. You   
  
said you wanted me to wake you up an hour before the banquet so you   
  
could get ready."  
  
  
  
"Not by shouting in my ear!"  
  
  
  
"Well, excuse me. Next time I'll pretend that I'm your wife and kiss   
  
you full on the lips. How does that sound? And I'll make sure it's a   
  
slobbery kiss."  
  
  
  
Mamoru rolled his eyes and rose from the bed. There were times when he   
  
wondered what it would've been like to have a brother. But with Shingo   
  
as his brother-in-law, there were also times when he didn't want to   
  
know.   
  
  
  
"I'm going to take a shower," said Mamoru as he headed from the   
  
bathroom. "If Usako calls me, just say I'll talk to her before I leave   
  
for the banquet."  
  
  
  
Shingo gave him the A-OK sign. "No problem," he assured.  
  
  
  
Once his brother-in-law closed the bathroom door, Shingo searched for a   
  
phone jack and connected his laptop's modem with a phone line. It was   
  
such a hassle whenever he traveled. To access the Internet he had to   
  
change all area codes, all phone numbers and even program his provider   
  
to dial a certain number before he could reach an outside line. He   
  
wanted to upgrade his laptop so it would have wireless connectivity but   
  
that cost money, and Shingo was more interested in paying back his   
  
college loans before he did any splurging on himself. (Splurging on   
  
Mika was another story…)  
  
  
  
Once Shingo was settled, lying on the queen-size bed with his laptop in   
  
front of him, he logged onto his email account. There were four new   
  
messages. One was an e-card notification from Mika, another was from   
  
his boss, and one was from Usagi. The last message was the one Shingo   
  
ignored two nights ago, the one from Hu Yen Li.  
  
  
  
The young reporter studied the e-mail subject. "To the Most Important   
  
Man in the World," it read. Shingo was unsure whether or not to open   
  
the e-mail. If it weren't for the foreign name, he would've suspected   
  
that someone was sending him yet another chain letter. Yet his   
  
journalist instincts told him to pursue, and so he did.  
  
  
  
Mr. Shingo Tsukino:  
  
  
  
Because of your reputation I decided to send you these   
  
documents. All necessary information and details are in   
  
the attached files. Do not ask questions. Do not contact   
  
me. Just read over the information and decide for   
  
yourself.  
  
  
  
Dr. Hu Yen Li  
  
  
  
"Right…" Shingo muttered in Dr. Evil fashion. From the short note he   
  
concluded that this was something he shouldn't be involved with. If Hu   
  
Yen Li requested not to be contacted then he was either in serious   
  
danger or playing a terrible, international prank. Still curiosity got   
  
the best of him, as it always did, and he clicked on the attachment and   
  
downloaded it to his computer.  
  
  
  
~*~*~  
  
  
  
Tokyo, Japan  
  
4:00 AM   
  
  
  
Covered in a cold sheen of sweat Usagi writhed under her bed sheets, a   
  
maddening vision playing in front of her mind's eyes. Her panicky   
  
breathing and escalated heart rate accompanied her rising fear. And as   
  
she fought to awaken, shaking her head and digging her fingers into her   
  
pillow, she was only forced deeper into the nightmare that illustrated   
  
what she prayed would not happen.  
  
  
  
The corridors of Tokyo Memorial Hospital were a contrast to their usual   
  
state; they were dark, defiled, and deserted, leaving the impression   
  
that the building had been abandoned many years before. Usagi stood in   
  
the middle of a hallway wearing a tattered hospital gown and bathrobe.   
  
In her arms were the twins. She clutched her babies to her bosom,   
  
shielding them from the dangers that approached them.  
  
  
  
An agonizing wail penetrated the silence. The determined mother raced   
  
through the halls, opposite the direction she heard the screams. Yet   
  
Usagi was brought to a dead end. She frantically spun around and   
  
wondered if there was another hallway she could take or if danger was   
  
near. With no where to flee Usagi crouched in the corner and fervently   
  
prayed that the shadows were veil her and her babies from the unknown   
  
enemy.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
One of the newborns started to cry, giving away their hiding place. As   
  
Usagi tried to soothe her child the unknown force confronted its   
  
victims. It ripped the twins from Usagi's embrace and immediately   
  
disappeared into a state of oblivion. Shocked and torn Usagi reached   
  
out to the nothingness surrounding her, screaming at the top of her   
  
lungs.  
  
  
  
"NO!!!!"  
  
  
  
=======  
  
End of chapter four  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
09.11.02 


	5. Chapter Five: New Threats

Disclaimers and author's notes are at the end of chapter five.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Sleeper  
  
  
  
By: Masked Maiden  
  
  
  
Chapter Five: New Threats  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
It was five o'clock in the morning when Chiba Usagi finally accepted   
  
that she could not go back to sleep. The nightmare was permanently   
  
engraved in her mind, adamant to haunt her. Never had she experienced   
  
a more vivid dream… or was it really a premonition? It wasn't a   
  
question that Usagi wanted to dwell one. In fact, she hoped the dream   
  
was just part of the "joys" of pregnancy.  
  
  
  
But what in the world was "Sleeper?" She must have asked this question   
  
aloud, for an annoyed Luna replied, "It's probably someone who likes to   
  
sleep, which is something I would like to do…"  
  
  
  
Usagi rolled her eyes. It was too early in the morning for sarcasm.   
  
"Well, then," she chided, "ignore me." The young blonde swiftly pushed   
  
the covers aside, causing the black feline to roll off the bed and   
  
surprisingly land on her bottom. (After all, cats were supposed to   
  
land on their feet!) Usagi then climbed out of bed, to the best of her   
  
ability, and walked down the stairs to the kitchen.  
  
  
  
"All right, I'm sorry," Luna apologized. After the slight dizziness   
  
and shock faded, she followed Usagi. "Tell me, does this have anything   
  
to do with that terrible dream you had last night?  
  
  
  
"How did you know I had a bad dream?" Usagi asked.  
  
  
  
The cat smiled, "I've lived with you longer than Mamoru has, and I've   
  
also slept in the same room with you all those years. I know what it   
  
means when I sense someone thrashing under the covers at night." Luna   
  
leaped into Usagi's outstretched hand and settled down on her right   
  
shoulder. "Maybe worrying about Mamoru seeped into your sub-  
  
consciousness last night."  
  
  
  
"I don't think so," Usagi shook her head. "Mamo-chan wasn't even in my   
  
dream, but the twins were. I couldn't really see them, but I know   
  
that's who they were. I was holding the twins in my arms and I was   
  
being chased by something called Sleeper."  
  
  
  
"Was it a youma?"  
  
  
  
"I never saw it, so I couldn't tell you for sure. But for some strange   
  
reason, I don't think it even had a form. When it finally confronted   
  
me, it was like it was everywhere at once. It took the twins, I   
  
screamed, and then I woke up."  
  
  
  
Usagi opened the refrigerator and grabbed the carton of milk, and from   
  
the pantry she took out an unopened box of Cheerios. She didn't feel   
  
like cooking, especially when she didn't have anyone to cook for. Her   
  
morning routine usually consisted of preparing breakfast and eating   
  
with her husband, which gave them a few minutes together before they   
  
headed for work. But with Mamoru gone for the entire week, Usagi had   
  
no idea what she was going to do with herself. She wasn't the type of   
  
person who liked being alone.  
  
  
  
During this time, Luna was unusually quiet. She mulled over what Usagi   
  
just shared with her, wondering whether she should take the dream   
  
seriously or not. Pregnant women were known to experience some obscure   
  
dreams, and most of them represented the fears and anxieties they felt.   
  
Usagi had every reason to worry; if a new enemy appeared in the next   
  
three or four months, she would not be able to fight or even fit in her   
  
sailor fuku. On top of that, it was the first time Usagi and Mamoru   
  
had been apart since the Galaxia incident. That along was enough to   
  
cause Usagi's fears to rise. As Luna considered all the facts, it was   
  
hard to decipher whether Usagi was more worried than she let on, or   
  
whether the dream was actually a foreboding vision.  
  
  
  
"Was there anyone else in your dream?" Luna inquired.  
  
  
  
Usagi sat down at the table with her bowl of cereal. Luna hopped onto   
  
the wooden surface and waited for her friend to answer. She was hoping   
  
for something, anything that would give her a clue as to what Usagi's   
  
dream meant.  
  
  
  
"No," Usagi answered, "there wasn't anyone else." She ate a spoonful   
  
of Cheerios before she asked Luna, "Do you think I should tell Mamo-  
  
chan?"  
  
  
  
Luna twitched her whiskers, partly because Usagi spoke with her mouth   
  
full. "Well if you decide to tell Mamoru, you should also tell him   
  
about the twins. And if you want my opinion, which I highly doubt…  
  
  
  
The odango atama dropped her spoon in her bowl and threw her hands in   
  
the air. "Here we go again!"  
  
  
  
"You're treating Mamoru unfairly by teasing him," Luna went on,   
  
ignoring Usagi. "You may think it's harmless fun, but I'm certain he   
  
thinks otherwise. Mamoru is not as patient as you think he is. And   
  
besides all that, he was the one in the beginning who wanted to know   
  
the baby's gender, but he respected your decision to wait. Now that   
  
you went and found out behind his back, you owe him the same respect   
  
that he gave you." Luna cocked her head and locked eyes with Usagi.   
  
"Tell me, are you trying to get back at him for wanting to go to   
  
America?"  
  
  
  
Usagi did not answer the feline's question. Or more correctly, she did   
  
not answer it verbally. The last thing Luna felt was a bowl hitting   
  
her head, along with milk and soggy Cheerios drenching her fur. She   
  
hissed and crawled out from under the bowl, miserable and angry enough   
  
to lash out at the next person who spoke to her… which was probably why   
  
Usagi decided to go upstairs and take her shower.  
  
  
  
"You can run, but you can't hide…" Luna jumped to the floor and   
  
scurried up the staircase. Whether she liked it or not, Usagi was   
  
going to have some company in the shower that morning.  
  
  
  
~*~*~  
  
  
  
Durham, North Carolina  
  
6:30 PM EST  
  
  
  
The wheels of fate were beginning to turn against Stephen. It was bad   
  
enough that he was exhausted from jetlag, that he was already late for   
  
the evening's welcoming banquet, and that he had misplaced his   
  
presentation notes on his pseudo research. (Not that it mattered,   
  
since he knew everything by heart.) Now his life's mission was in   
  
jeopardy and he could not stand listening to the dreaded news…   
  
especially when it came from Bodgar. There was something about him   
  
that made Stephen cautious, and that something was probably Bodgar's   
  
high-tech connections. The teenager could scrounge any information on   
  
anyone he desired by using his hacking abilities. If he wasn't on the   
  
side of justice, then the cautiousness Stephen felt would have been   
  
replaced with stark fear.  
  
  
  
"I hope that you're joking," Stephen finally spoke.  
  
  
  
The sixteen-year-old Romanian with longish blond hair and piercing blue   
  
eyes looked down at the papers in his hands and said, "I'm not. I   
  
double checked all the data before coming to you. Hu Yen emailed the   
  
missing Sleeper files to a journalist residing in Japan just before Ms.   
  
Hoshino killed him."  
  
  
  
It took most of Stephen's self-control to suppress the anger raging   
  
inside of him. "That woman swore her mission was successful…" He no   
  
longer cared that he was late for the banquet; he was going to have a   
  
little talk with Atsuko before he left.  
  
  
  
"There's some good news, too," Bodgar continued. "I've been hacking   
  
into that journalist's laptop for the past thirty-six hours through his   
  
modem connection and that's allowed me to track down the times he's   
  
accessed his email. We've been quite fortunate. He's only checked his   
  
email once since Hu Yen sent him the attachment, and it turns out that   
  
he's changed his access numbers."  
  
  
  
"What does that mean?"  
  
  
  
Bodgar wanted to roll his eyes. How could a man with a doctorate in   
  
microbiology be so computer illiterate? It must be that generation gap   
  
everyone talked about… "It means that this journalist isn't in Japan at   
  
the moment," Bodgar explained. "When someone changes the access   
  
numbers for their Internet provider, it usually means that they've   
  
moved to a different location."  
  
  
  
"So where is he now?"  
  
  
  
"Well, he's connected to an access number from Raleigh, and the phone   
  
line that he is currently using belongs to the Washington Duke Inn."  
  
  
  
It was the first time Bodgar ever saw a surprised look on the leader's   
  
face. Stephen crossed his arms and sat down on his bed, as if he   
  
couldn't take the news standing up. "This time I hope that you're   
  
*not* joking," he said.  
  
  
  
"A computer doesn't give you false information unless you're the one   
  
that makes a mistake. I didn't make a mistake, so my computer says   
  
that this Shingo Tsukino is right here in this hotel. Would you like   
  
me to scrounge up anymore information on him?"  
  
  
  
Stephen was about to address Bodgar about his attitude when Atsuko   
  
walked into the room. The surrounding atmosphere abruptly changed to   
  
that of a cold and barren battlefield. Atsuko locked eyes with   
  
Stephen, the man she loved, and she knew; her secret was out. And   
  
Stephen was not happy.  
  
  
  
"Bodgar, leave," Stephen ordered.  
  
  
  
No one had to tell him twice. Bodgar grabbed his papers and walked   
  
out, though not before he teasingly smiled at the older woman and sang   
  
under his breath, "Somebody's in trouble…" He didn't care too much for   
  
Atsuko or for the other Children of Mother Earth -- they were all   
  
blind. If they knew the things he did, he wondered if their loyalty   
  
would continue to be so unwavering.  
  
  
  
Bodgar crossed the hallway to the neighboring hotel room and locked the   
  
door behind him. He was thankful that Stephen agreed to let him have   
  
his own room. There was no telling what would happen if he had to   
  
board with the leader, especially with Atsuko in there. Also, it was   
  
whole lot better to be the fly on the wall rather than the spectator in   
  
the midst of the crossfire. Bodgar turned on his laptop and, with a   
  
few strokes, tapped into Stephen's room. It was only an audio feed,   
  
since cameras were more difficult to disguise, but it was enough to   
  
entertain the professional snoop. And out of courtesy, Bodgar plugged   
  
in his earphones so the neighbors didn't have to listen to two   
  
arguments. One was more than enough.  
  
  
  
"I swear, Stephen, I thought the mission was successful. I thought   
  
that I made it before Hu Yen could email anyone the missing files. His   
  
computer wasn't even on when I arrived at his house!"  
  
  
  
"Is that so?" The sounds of bedsprings squeaking and clothes rustling   
  
indicated that Stephen was moving closer to his prey. "Then why did I   
  
see a – as these Americans like to put it – deer in the headlights look   
  
when you walked in? Surely you are guilty of something, and I have   
  
reason to believe that you lied to me."  
  
  
  
"Stephen, please!"  
  
  
  
Atsuko cried out as Stephen's mighty hand struck her face. There were   
  
then the sounds of a commotion, and Bodgar could visualize Atsuko   
  
trying to free herself from Stephen's grasp. Something fell and broke,   
  
possibly a lamp or vase. One person tripped and the other raced for   
  
the door, though her way was soon blocked by his body. Atsuko was then   
  
knocked down, or at least that was what Bodgar assumed, and her screams   
  
filled his ears. Her struggle was proven unsuccessful, as her sobs   
  
gave away. Stephen picked her up and started mocking her.  
  
  
  
"You are a disgrace to the cause, Ms. Hoshino. Your pitiful mistake   
  
has placed us all in jeopardy. Do you even realize what you have done?   
  
If this journalist reads those documents, then we will be exposed to   
  
the whole world. Years of my hard work will become meaningless and a   
  
joke, because mankind cannot possibly understand the importance of our   
  
mission. We cannot let this happen, now can we? No, we cannot. You   
  
are going to right the wrong that you have committed. And this time,   
  
if you do not succeed, you will join Drs. Li, Krynauw, and Sexwale in   
  
the afterworld. Is that clear, Ms. Hoshino!?"  
  
  
  
Bodgar had heard enough. He exited the program, pushed his laptop   
  
aside, and fell back into the pillows. As he stared at the ceiling, he   
  
wondered out loud, "Would I be treated the same way is he didn't   
  
understand how important I am…?  
  
  
  
Very few people knew of Bodgar's past. He was the son of a prostitute,   
  
who left her newborn on the front steps of an orphanage. That could   
  
almost be compared to handing a defenseless child to a hungry pack of   
  
wolves, for Romanian orphanages were known for their poor conditions.   
  
Children were neglected and malnourished, and many had no hopes of any   
  
kind of future. Fortunately, Bodgar was adopted by a South African   
  
couple when he was a year and a half old, which made Dr. Stephen   
  
Lehmkuhl his uncle. And when he lost his parents in a fatal car   
  
accident two years ago, it also made Stephen his legal guardian.  
  
  
  
So what was it like to live with Uncle Stephen? Bodgar could only   
  
describe it as lonely. If his uncle wasn't working late at the medical   
  
center in Cape Town, he was globetrotting from on research laboratory   
  
to another. When he was at home, it seemed as if they were a thousand   
  
miles away. The two rarely spoke to each other. In fact, C.O.M.E. was   
  
their only connection. If it wasn't for that, then uncle and nephew   
  
probably wouldn't have anything to talk about.  
  
  
  
Yet Bodgar knew he was being used. All of the Children of Mother Earth   
  
were being used, like pawns on a massive chessboard, and they would   
  
eventually be led to their graves. Bodgar dreaded that day. He didn't   
  
want to die, especially for something he didn't quite believe in. But   
  
everyone expected him to. Out of the thirteen Children, Bodgar was the   
  
most vital person on the team, perhaps more important than its leader.   
  
He was the computer genius who could scrounge up any information on   
  
anyone, who could hack into any computer, and who could stay one step   
  
ahead of the enemy. As far as the members were concerned, Bodgar was   
  
his uncle's pride and joy.   
  
  
  
Bodgar knew better. Stephen only asked him to join C.O.M.E. because of   
  
his computer skills. He needed a mole who could keep track of all the   
  
members, just to make sure no one betrayed. So on a personal level,   
  
Stephen saw Bodgar as an obligation to his dead brother, maybe even a   
  
burden. If he didn't have any use for him, then there was no telling   
  
what kind of boarding school Bodgar would be forced to attend. But on   
  
a professional level, Stephen respected him, and he felt a sense of   
  
trust towards him. He needed Bodgar, more than he wanted to admit. If   
  
it weren't for his nephew, all of the world would have known about   
  
Sleeper by now, and their mission would never be completed.  
  
  
  
Bodgar rolled onto his side and stared at his laptop's monitor. A   
  
light flashing in the corner indicated that one of the members had   
  
returned to his or her room. It was ironic: the person who kept   
  
Sleeper a secret was the very same person who had the power to expose   
  
the truth to the world. But it was a lose-lose situation for Bodgar.   
  
If he kept his mouth shut, he died. If he did the right thing, his   
  
uncle would surely kill him. He knew he was a coward, but he just   
  
didn't want to die for anyone.  
  
  
  
"I wish I could just fade away…"  
  
  
  
"Oh please, that's a terrible wish. Power! Money! Come on, why don't   
  
you wish for those things?"  
  
  
  
The Romanian felt a jolt of shock at the sound of a stranger's voice.   
  
He turned his head and sat up, and there before him was a woman cloaked   
  
in black robes. Without hesitation she pushed the hood away from her   
  
face and took off her dark shades. Her complexion was pale, almost the   
  
color of new fallen snow on a winter's morning. Ringlets of marigold   
  
tresses flowed down and touched the floor as topaz eyes locked onto the   
  
boy in front of him. She then waited silently, patiently for him to   
  
speak.  
  
  
  
"Who are you?" Bodgar demanded to know.  
  
  
  
The woman bowed and cheerfully smiled. "My name is Janus," she   
  
introduced herself. "My lord would like to speak with you."  
  
  
  
~*~*~  
  
  
  
Shingo knew he was supposed to be working on his feature story, but   
  
that didn't stop him from turning on the television and flipping   
  
through the channels. Whenever he traveled to a foreign country, it   
  
was tradition fro him to watch the commercials. Most of the popular   
  
American shows were being dubbed into Japanese nowadays, so the   
  
commercials were the next best way of seeing the differences in   
  
cultures. Shingo has several favorites, like the ones for Budweiser   
  
and Geico. But this one in particular caught his attention…  
  
  
  
A Barbie-gone-bad replica of his older sister appeared on the small   
  
screen as a voice over enthusiastically exclaimed, "I am Sailor Moon!   
  
And in the name of the moon, I'll punish you!"  
  
  
  
The journalist fell back onto the bed, laughing his head off. "Woo!   
  
She doesn't have that figure now!" he hollered. Upon saying that,   
  
Shingo was very thankful that his brother-in-law was at the banquet and   
  
not within earshot of the comment. Still, that commercial was now his   
  
most favorite of all time. Nothing could ever top what he just saw.  
  
  
  
"And I am Tuxedo Mask!"  
  
  
  
He thought too soon. Now on the TV was a horrific doll of Tuxedo   
  
Kamen, wearing a plastic top hat that swallowed his head, not to   
  
mention the painted lips and the *brown* bangs that covered his eyes.   
  
Shingo did his best to calm down, though he barely succeeded. If it   
  
weren't for the beeping noise coming from his laptop, he would have   
  
eventually caused everyone on the third floor to call security.  
  
  
  
Once he stopped laughing, Shingo sat down and placed his computer on   
  
his lap. A message on the screen indicated that the mysterious email   
  
attachment had finished downloading. He was about to unzip the   
  
documents when he was surprised by a loud knock at the door. He knew   
  
it couldn't be his brother-in-law, unless the banquet was boring and   
  
Mamoru forgot his key… Shingo sighed and slid off the bed. When he   
  
answered the door, he suddenly realized that he was in for another   
  
surprised…  
  
  
  
Like a gun barrel directly in his face, and a bullet with his name on   
  
it.  
  
  
  
======  
  
End of chapter five  
  
  
  
  
  
12.17.2002  
  
  
  
  
  
Disclaimer: Sailormoon and the characters of "Bishoujo Senshi   
  
Sailormoon" are property of Takeuchi Naoko, Toei Animation, Kodansha,   
  
etc. "Sleeper" is inspired by the novel "The Most Important Little Boy   
  
in the World" written by Dean Briggs. It is property of the author and   
  
Word Publishing. I do not have ownership and I do not make any profits   
  
from the use of Sailormoon or the novel in this fan fiction.   
  
  
  
  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
There's nothing much that I want to say. I do want apologize for this   
  
chapter being three months late, but as I told everyone, college has   
  
taken up a lot of my time. I am grateful for my Christmas break. I   
  
get to spend some time with my family, shop for presents, and catch up   
  
on my writing. I hope you all enjoyed it. May the Lord bless all of   
  
you with a wonderful and safe holiday this year. And from me to you,   
  
Merry Christmas! ^_^  
  
  
  
BTW -- I do not own Budweiser or Geico, but I do enjoy their   
  
commercials! 


	6. Interlude One: Outer Space

Disclaimers and author's notes are at the end of interlude #1.  
  
"The core of Chaos, the Chaos seed, and Guardian Chaos are melted into   
  
the Cauldron. Now they have become too small to be found. They might   
  
be born again. Because this is the place where stars, and   
  
possibilities, are born…" ~ Guardian Cosmos; Volume 18, Act 52  
  
Sleeper   
  
By: Masked Maiden  
  
Interlude #1: Outer Space  
  
From its home against the radiant constellations, the mighty archer   
  
Sagittarius points to the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. And inside the   
  
center, in this black hole of void and desolation, lays a veiled enigma. Its   
  
true name has been lost over time, its origin cannot be pinned down, and its   
  
existence is unknown by the masses of humanity. But there are those who once   
  
traveled there, seeking power and denomination, seeking freedom and peace.   
  
They called it Zero Star, and on this celestial body is the Galaxy Cauldron,   
  
the sacred place where star seeds are born.  
  
Every soul possesses a star seed, the essence that harbors life and creation.   
  
The strongest, most powerful of all star seeds are known as sailor crystal.   
  
Destined to be interconnected with the planets of the universe, these unique   
  
star seeds are born for the souls of the Sailor Senshi, and are the source   
  
for their powers. Never fading, sailor crystals return to their birthplace   
  
and are reborn again and again, so that the universe may never succumb to the   
  
evils that will surely threaten it.   
  
But as the Galaxy Cauldron gives birth to the star seeds of light, it must   
  
give birth to stars seeds or darkness.  
  
A formless apparition floated in the expanse of outer space and stared into   
  
the vortex of a black hole. Inside the black hole was a spark of light that   
  
shimmered from the bottom with much vivacity. That was the Cauldron. It was   
  
calling him, wanting him to return… but he did not want to go. Since the day   
  
he was created -- he wasn't quite sure when he was created -- he'd protected   
  
the black star seeds. Those stars left and returned, and each one had their   
  
own stories to tell. Most of them were tormented by their own downfall, and   
  
some even groaned when a certain group of Sailor Senshi was mentioned.   
  
However, there were a few that trampled over their enemies, and they were the   
  
ones who gloated over the destructions of cities, countries, kingdoms, and   
  
even planets. They were the heroes of their kind, and he wanted to be like   
  
them. He wanted their lives, or at least the bodies of their human hosts.   
  
But that was never intended to be. He was Guardian Chaos, the one who missed   
  
becoming a star seed.  
  
Oh… it wasn't like Chaos hadn't tried. For brief periods of time he broke   
  
from his bondage and took the forms of Queen Metallia, Death Phantom, Master   
  
Pharaoh 90, and Nehelenia. Once he controlled the mind of a Sailor Senshi,   
  
Sailorgalaxia. They were shadows of his true self, and through them he   
  
raised havoc on the blue planet called Earth. His mission was always the   
  
same: to absorb the mystical Ginzuishou, the star seed of light, so that   
  
Chaos could be free from the Galaxy Cauldron and rule the cosmos. Every time   
  
he came close to achieving his goal, and every time a maiden with blonde hair   
  
and blue eyes used the Ginzuishou against him. Sailormoon banished him back   
  
to the Cauldron, where he was forced to stay until he regained enough   
  
strength to try once more.  
  
Chaos vividly remembered their last meeting. Though Sailorgalaxia, he'd   
  
captured the sailor crystals of all the guardians in the universe, including   
  
the Milky Way Galaxy, leaving Eternal Sailormoon with no allies to fight with   
  
her during the final battle. And as Galaxia stole the sailor crystals from   
  
their human hosts, Chaos absorbed the black star seeds under his protection.   
  
They empowered him, and soon his powers even surpassed those of Sailormoon.   
  
But he knew that only the Ginzuishou could free him. Without her friends and   
  
her beloved, Chaos knew Sailormoon would eventually travel to the Cauldron.   
  
His plan was to lure her inside and snatch her sailor crystal. And then… he   
  
would be invincible.  
  
But in the end, Sailormoon was one step ahead of him. She begged for the   
  
stolen sailor crystals to help her, and then she literally joined him. One   
  
by one Chaos was infested with the star seeds of all the Sailor Senshi of the   
  
cosmos, until the sudden surge of energy became too much for him to bear.   
  
Guardian Chaos, in a sense, exploded, but he was not completely destroyed.   
  
He was simply reduced to a grain of existence, and his bond to the Galaxy   
  
Cauldron became even greater.  
  
Since then Chaos looked forward to when he would rise again. Even Guardian   
  
Cosmos admitted that his imprisonment was temporary. But until then, all   
  
Chaos possessed were Janus, Bodgar, and their star seeds.  
  
The apparition held out the two sparkling jewels, in awe of how something so   
  
delicate could contain the power to annihilate his enemies. With these stars   
  
Chaos would take what he longingly desired. He absorbed them, and slowly the   
  
being transformed into a body of flesh. Organs were protected by bones,   
  
bones were covered by muscles, and muscles were shielded by skin. Soon there   
  
stood a man with a snowy complexion, eyes of blazing ruby red, floor-length   
  
hair and lavish robes that camouflaged into the expanse of space, and fangs…   
  
fangs that could puncture both a man's body as well as his soul. This new   
  
image of Chaos would surely have his revenge.  
  
"Onyx-sama…"  
  
Lord Onyx switched his attention from the Cauldron to a gust of fog floating   
  
his way. It gradually dissipated, revealing the ageless woman named Janus.   
  
Of course, ageless was an inaccuracy. But she was a woman who'd lived during   
  
the Silver Millennium, and who would live during Crystal Tokyo, so she   
  
appeared ageless to the few who knew her. She took off her shades and   
  
respectively bowed to her master.  
  
"Bodgar is ready, Onyx-sama," Janus stated.  
  
The vampire stared at his puppet, almost unamused. "Excellent…" he said.   
  
"Proceed with the plan."  
  
======  
  
End of Interlude #1  
  
05.16.03  
  
Disclaimer: Sailormoon and the characters of "Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon" are   
  
property of Takeuchi Naoko, Toei Animation, Kodansha, etc. "Sleeper" is   
  
inspired by the novel "The Most Important Little Boy in the World" written by   
  
Dean Briggs. It is property of the author and Word Publishing. I do not   
  
have ownership and I do make any profits from the use of Sailormoon or the   
  
novel in this fan fiction.  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
None for this, but I bet you're wondering were chapter six – part one went.   
  
It is being rewritten, to where it will be an ultra long version. I know,   
  
you all are itching to know what will happen, but I can guarantee you that   
  
the wait will be well worth it. :)  
  
Email: masked_maiden@hotmail.com  
  
Web Sites: (a miracle romance) http://miracleromance.cjb.net/  
  
(into the new world) http://intothenewworld.cjb.net/ 


	7. Interlude Two: Elysian

Disclaimers and author's notes are at the end of interlude #2.  
  
Sleeper  
  
By: Masked Maiden  
  
Interlude #2: Elysian  
  
Somewhere between the boundaries of heaven and Earth was the sacred paradise   
  
known as Elysian. It was all that remained of the Golden Kingdom, a luscious   
  
and tranquil land that was once ruled by King Jove and Queen Tellus. Its   
  
guardian was Elios, the boy priest who was anointed with the Spirit and   
  
appointed by the queen at a young age. For over two thousand years Elios had   
  
protected Elysian, along with the dreams of the people who lived on Earth.   
  
He loved the ancient land, as it was his home. Yes, there were days when he   
  
wished his mission was completed so he could return to Earth, and there were   
  
days when it felt like there wasn't much to protect. However, embedded deep   
  
within in his heart, Elios knew that the dreams of the Earthians and the hope   
  
for a brighter future were enough to sacrifice his years of immortality, and   
  
even his life for.  
  
But today, something was troubling him. It all started some hour past   
  
midnight, when Elios was suddenly jolted out of his slumber. It wasn't   
  
because of a nightmare or a prophetic vision; Elios hadn't had any visions   
  
since Nehelenia was defeated. He had to place the blame on a… Well, how   
  
could he put this into words? It was as if a dark emotion had taken a   
  
physical form and clutched Elios' chest, its grip like a vise that tightened   
  
each time he gaped for air. And out of stark fear, Elios did not (and could   
  
not, for that matter) fall back asleep. The visitor stayed for the night,   
  
and it eventually faded away as the sun rose, leaving a very rattled and   
  
bewildered priest behind.  
  
Times like these required a moment of peace and quiet… and a good cup of tea.  
  
Elios briefly spoke with the temple maidens Maenads and Mendes, informing the   
  
ladies that he would be in his bedroom for most of the morning and that he   
  
did not want to be disturbed. The maidens noticed the dark bags under Elios'   
  
eyes and were concerned. But when the priest left the sanctuary, they   
  
laughed to themselves and joked that he was probably going back to bed.   
  
Instead, Elios went back upstairs, took the chair at his desk and dragged it   
  
onto the balcony. Then he sat down with his favorite blend of chamomile tea   
  
and silently pondered to himself, enjoying the scenery before him.  
  
The temple was built on a body of land that was surrounded by a large pond.   
  
(Well, Elios liked to call it a mini-ocean, for the word "pond" did a poor   
  
job at describing it.) On the other side of the water was a woodland area   
  
where most of the fauna resided. A bridge on the east side was the only   
  
thing that connected the woodlands and the temple. In few words, the scene   
  
was mesmerizing, if not breathtaking. Elios could stare at it for hours.   
  
The calm serenity of the still waters and the green foliage on the trees   
  
seemed to ease his mind, and he was able to think more clearly.  
  
That dark emotion… It made him recollect back to the time when Nehelenia had   
  
placed the black rose curse on Prince Endymion, who was now known as Chiba   
  
Mamoru. When Endymion was cursed, so was the Earth. When the Earth was   
  
cursed, so was Elysian. And when Elysian was cursed, so was Elios. The four   
  
were all separate, though they shared a common link. Nothing could affect   
  
one without affecting them all. When Endymion was cursed, a dark emotion   
  
knocked Elios down to the floor and entered his chest, gradually weakening   
  
him and making him one of Nehelenia's captures.   
  
Elios couldn't ignore the similarities. The dark emotion was almost   
  
identical to the one that had invaded him almost eleven years ago. While   
  
this dark emotion didn't invade him, it did attack him, and that alone made   
  
him fear for Mamoru's life…  
  
A gentle breeze ruffled Elios' blue-white hair and sent a chill down his   
  
spine. When the breeze died down, the there was the clinking sound of a   
  
staff tapping the marble floor could be heard from behind. Footsteps   
  
followed, letting Elios know that his surprise guest was walking onto the   
  
balcony.   
  
"Such a lovely day. Isn't it, Shounin Elios-sama?"  
  
The fear that crept beside the boy priest's heart dissolved, and a smile   
  
appeared on his face. Only three people ever addressed him by his official   
  
title: King Jove, Queen Tellus, and Sailorpluto… Elios casually turned around   
  
in his chair and saw that the sailor soldier standing beside him. He opened   
  
his mouth to say a word of salutation; however, when he looked into her   
  
solemn magenta eyes, the fear returned. This wasn't Sailorpluto who was   
  
currently known as Meiou Setsuna. No… this was the Sailorpluto of Crystal   
  
Tokyo, the guardian of the Time Gateway. To know that Sailorpluto was away   
  
from the Time Gateway was similar to knowing that the Priest of Elysian was   
  
away from the temple… Neither left their posts unless a threat was   
  
approaching the ones they had sworn to watch over.  
  
"I take it Diana-chan's watching over the Gateway," Elios said, breaking the   
  
uncomfortable silence.  
  
Sailorpluto faintly smiled and nodded. "To think that a feline is the only   
  
creature I trust to guard the Gateway when I'm away."  
  
"And I also take it you're here for a reason."  
  
"I wish this was just a social call, but it isn't. There is something   
  
approaching the Earth, and I'm going to need your help."  
  
======  
  
End of Interlude #2  
  
05.27.03  
  
Disclaimer: Sailormoon and the characters of "Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon" are   
  
property of Takeuchi Naoko, Toei Animation, Kodansha, etc. "Sleeper" is   
  
inspired by the novel "The Most Important Little Boy in the World" written by   
  
Dean Briggs. It is property of the author and Word Publishing. I do not   
  
have ownership and I do make any profits from the use of Sailormoon or the   
  
novel in this fan fiction.  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
King Jove and Queen Tellus: If I ever write this certain fan fiction that I   
  
have plotted out, you will probably get to see these two characters. But for   
  
now, I'll tell you where I got their names. Jove is another form of the name   
  
Jupiter, a Roman god. I'm not really going by mythology, though; I just   
  
liked the name. Now, as for Tellus, it's another form of the name Terra.   
  
Terra is another name for the goddess Gaea, who is the goddess of Earth.  
  
Shounin Elios-sama: As far as I know, Elios is only referred to as Elios in   
  
both the anime and the manga. But because I'm quite fond of your friendly-  
  
neighborhood priest, I wanted to give an impressive title. (Okay, I know   
  
Priest of Elysian is a very impressive title, but it's also a mouthful!)   
  
Shounin is Japanese for "holy priest." I thought that most suited him. And   
  
as everyone knows, the suffix "san" is a tern of respect.  
  
Ah yes, the tea… As I'm also currently writing a Slayers fan fiction, I'm   
  
focusing on two characters (Xelloss and Filia) that fancy tea. Since Elios   
  
seems like a tea person, I'm continuing the tea tradition through this fan   
  
fiction. So there! ^-^  
  
Email: masked_maiden@hotmail.com  
  
Web Sites: (a miracle romance) http://miracleromance.cjb.net/  
  
(into the new world) http://intothenewworld.cjb.net/ 


	8. Chapter Six: unleashedSLEEPER

Disclaimers and author's notes are at the end of chapter six.  


  
**Sleeper  
By: Masked Maiden  
Chapter Six - The Sort of Longer Version: .unleashed//SLEEPER**  


Durham, North Carolina  
7:00 PM EST 

  
Mamoru remembered a comment Diana made when she and ChibiUsa were living with Usagi -- there were a few instances when the King and Queen of Crystal Tokyo became mysteriously ill, and then the two would disappear just before important, and rather stuffy, banquets and meetings. There was nothing to worry about though, for they always felt better the next day Mamoru remembered that because, at the moment, he was bored. Bored out of his mind, to be exact. If he had known the welcoming banquet was going to be such a dulling experience, he would have followed King Endymion's lead and played hooky.  


_I wonder if Shingo knows any good American restaurants_, Mamoru thought. Oh, how he wanted to leave, to be anywhere except for the sardine-can-of-a-conference-room. And if he had actually listened to that voice in the back of his mind, he would have already left. It wasn't because Mamoru was an introvert and hated crowds (even though he was and did), and it certainly wasn't because the food wasn't the best (even though it wasn't). It was because the guest speaker had yet to show up. The main reason Mamoru wanted to come to North Carolina (which was thousands of miles away from home and Usagi) was to hear Dr. Stephen Lehmkuhl's lecture.  


Before his first ER rotation, Mamoru wanted to specialize in genetics. With a great interest in the field he'd read several articles on Dr. Lehmkuhl. He had to admit, he admired the doctor's work. However, Mamoru was perplexed when it came to the man's secrecy. Only snippets of Dr. Lehmkuhl's research were released and hardly anything was published in the medical journals, for the man supposedly feared that his work would somehow be used by terrorists. That was, to say the very least, somewhat odd. Mamoru knew that many scientists (and doctors -- they were scientists in their own right) strove for recognition and the one breakthrough wonderment that would put their names down in history. Dr. Lehmkuhl wasn't like that; all he wanted was to make the world a better place. To Mamoru, that either made Dr. Lehmkuhl a saint or a deceiver, and it wasn't quite clear which suited him better.  


Perhaps tonight's speech would eradicate any suspicions.  


But for some reason, that seemed highly unlikely.  


"Ladies and gentlemen, let us welcome our guest speaker for this evening, Dr. Stephen Lehmkuhl"  


The gathering of physicians politely clapped as Stephen walked onto the stage and to the podium. He put on his reading glasses and placed his notes in front of him, though he would not need to refer to them. The applause subsided and he looked up and stared at his audience, quite pleased to be in the spotlight for one last time.  


"Fellow comrades of science and medicine, thank you for coming. I would first like to apologize for my tardiness this evening. My nephew is with me this week and I wanted to spend a few minutes with him before I left, although it obviously turned out to be more than a few minutes. I think those of you with families can certainly understand that there are not enough hours in the day to spend with the ones you love"  


Mamoru's eyebrow arched. Suck up, he mused.   


Stephen continued with his memorized words until something caught his eye and stunned him into a loss of words. Bodgar sat in the back row, smiling intently. He was given a security pass just in case he decided to attend the lecture, or in case of an emergency involving C.O.M.E. Stephen never really expected him to use it, though. He stared at his nephew, trying to decipher the meaning beneath the smile on his face. But as the geneticist came to no conclusions, a feeling Stephen rarely felt clouded his eyes: fear.  


"*Ahem*" Stephen cleared his throat and proceeded. "As I was saying, this evening I plan to disclose over a decade of highly confidential research that will unlock the mysteries behind several well-known viral hemorrhagic disease. Because of their noxious effect on millions of innocent lives, it has become my life's mission to see that our Earth is finally rid of the pestilence that strikes her children, so that no other person may have to suffer and become another victim"  


"Is that REALLY your mission, Uncle Stephen?"  


The voice unmistakably came from Bodgar, though it seemed to resound throughout the room. And needless to say, it brought Stephen's rehearsed speech to another abrupt halt. He glared at his nephew, no longer caring for the briefest moment if anyone saw through his deception. Mamoru would have been the person to notice, but he and the rest of the audience turned their heads to see whoever it was with the booming voice. His attention was immediately directed towards the teenager, who now slowly walked to the stage and unknown to anyone else, the blameworthy victim.  


Unobserved by the audience, Elios teleported into the conference room, emerging from nothingness, with a subtlety that he'd perfected almost a thousand years ago. He wore a plain white cotton shirt and grey slacks instead of his usual robes, so not to cause any attention to himself. No, that was surely the last thing he wanted. Elios then stood in one of the far corners of the room until he could speak with Mamoru. He leaned against the wall, arms folded and eyes searching for the prince. When Elios at last spotted Mamoru, he waited patiently. If Sailorpluto was correct, and there was absolutely no reason to believe that she wasn't, Elios would know when it was time to make contact.  


"Let us not forget what the mission is," Bodgar mocked. "Those are your exact words. Right, Uncle Stephen? Mother Earth has given birth for over six thousand years. Now is the time to relieve her from all her heavy burdens even if it means martyrdom." He laughed, a deep rumble in the base of his throat, as if another entity had taken control of him, and looked down at the floor. "That's a fancy way of saying you want to kill us all, right?"  


"Now's not the time for this, Bodgar," Stephen seethed.  


"Oh, but I think it is." Bodgar continued. "Mother Earth's children have taken her for granted. We included. We have abused her, despite all of her sacrifices. She is tired, she is depleted, and she needs rest and solitude. Mother must be saved and her wretched, spoiled children now must be aborted. And we, the Children of Mother Earth, are now the arbiters of life, and so we chose for Mother to love. And that means"  


Bodgar extended his right arm and clenched his fist.  


" You must become the first martyr."  


As Bodgar finished curling his fingers into a tight fist, he disappeared, as if slipping into another dimension. Stephen clutched his chest and gasped for air. His heart stopped beating and he collapsed, his chin striking the podium and snapping his head back as he hit the floor. No one would be able to tell if it was the heart attack that killed him, or if it was the impact from his skull hitting the hardwood floor and shattering. But so was the end to Dr. Stephen Lehmkuhl. He died in the spotlight that he relished, and literally by the hand of the one young man that he should have never trusted.  


Elios took advantage of the confusion and hurried to the Crown Prince. He watched as Mamoru shot up from his chair, muttering a couple of choice words under his breath. Mamoru was more or less dumbfounded, and his defenses were in high gear. When Elios grabbed him by the shoulder, he was ready to strike until he saw the priest's face.  


"What are you doing here!?" he nearly demanded.  


"Forgive my rudeness, but there's no time to explain," Elios insisted. "We must leave immediately, for I'm afraid that your brother-in-law's life in danger."  


Mamoru's eyes widened. "What?"  


~*~*~  


Shingo had always hoped he would be fortunate enough to die peacefully as an old man, preferably in his sleep. But for some reason, he never expected for fate to be so generous. He knew his rebellious teenage years had depleted all of his second chances. So Shingo expected to die from cancer or heart disease, something morbid, since he was a bit of a pessimist However, he never thought of being shot, and that was blatantly what fate intended. Atsuko fired her gun and Shingo reflexively shut his eyes as the booming noise roared in his ears.  


Of course, it is a common fact that sound does not travel as fast as light. It would be an educated guess, though not always the truth, to say that most victims of a gunshot wound would either die or feel excruciating pain before being aware of any sound produced by pulling a trigger. (And if one demised, he certainly would not be hearing anything.) But Shingo wasn't worrying over the details right now. All the young man could think about was his wife Mika and his family, and how he would never have the chance to see them Then he realized that he was doing a lot of thinking for a dead guy, though he was still expecting to be surrounded by white light, by the walls of a tunnel he must run through, or anything that pertained to the afterlife. The only way he would know for certain was by opening his eyes. So ever so cautiously, Shingo unclosed his eyes.  


His mouth gaped open at the beauty around him. It was as if he had stepped inside a watercolor painting. The clear sky was a light azure, with only a few marshmallow clouds scattered across the expanse. Green meadows stretching far beyond what the eye could see were dolloped with flowers of pink, blue, lavender, and yellow. And just over the horizon was a majestic structure of brilliance. It appeared to be a temple or sorts, one that dated back to a time that was long forgotten.  


To Shingo, he was in paradise, which could only mean one thing.  


"I'm dead!"  


After those words spilled from his mouth, the air seemed to shift and open. Two forms materialized before the rattled journalist. Shingo immediately recognized Mamoru, but not the stranger who accompanied him. That stranger was Elios. By his appearance, Shingo assumed that he was about sixteen or seventeen. Yet when he looked into his eyes, something told him that this stranger was wise beyond his years of living.  


"Ah, I see you made it here safely," Elios said, sounding relieved. He bowed to Shingo and warmly greeted him. "Welcome to Elysian, Tsukino-san. I must say that you're the first civilian, I suppose, to ever come here."  


"Ely-what?" Shingo was now even more confused, and he looked to Mamoru for any kind of answer. "Exactly what's going on here?"  


Mamoru held his head in his hand and sighed. "I think we have a lot of explaining to do"  


~*~*~  


"Okay, okay, okay Let me see if I got this straight" Shingo began to roughly massage the temples of his forehead with his index and middle fingers. "Once upon a time and blah blah blah, there was this era known as the Silver Millennium. Its two major empires were the Golden Kingdom and the White Moon Kingdom. Mamoru was from the Golden Kingdom and Baka was from the Moon Kingdom. When the Golden Kingdom waged war against the Moon Kingdom and fell from power, a part of it was preserved and became Elysian. And so you--" He pointed to the white-clad priest sitting beside of him. "--are obviously its guardian. But you're also Mamoru's guardian. Have I left anything out?"  


Elios, Mamoru, and Shingo sat by the edge of the pond on the sun-warmed grass. They were several kilometers away from the temple, and from the eavesdropping temple maidens that did not need to get involved with their troubles. Like Mamoru had suggested, Elios gave Shingo a *brief* summarization of the Silver Millennium's history. And at the end of the ancient history lesson, the only thing Shingo got was a massive headache.  


"Well, there are other details," Elios replied, "but it isn't necessary for you to know them."  


"Okay But I'm still confused on something."  


"And what is that?"  


"WHY AM I HERE?!"  


Elios almost jumped out of his skin, startled by Shingo's sudden outburst. Mamoru just shook his head and pointed out for his brother-in-law, "Would you have rather had a bullet lodged in your brain? Because there's probably still time to have that arranged"   


Shingo folded his arms across this chest and slouched, like a little boy who was sulking. "I'm not trying to sound ungrateful," he muttered. "Believe me, Elios-san, I can't thank you enough to saving my butt. But I don't understand why I was brought here instead of just being pushed out of the way."  


Elios sighed and confessed to his visitors, "I'm afraid that I have more questions than answers myself. I was instructed to tell you about some events that are to come" Elios then turned his attention specifically to Shingo. "And I was also told to give you a message, Tsukino-san. I don't understand the meaning of the message, but I was assured that you would when the time is right."  


Mamoru was becoming as frustrated as his brother-in-law. He was not a man who liked to beat around the bush. However, he knew a woman who treated the future and its truths in the manner of a well, like a used car salesman. She would say just enough to catch your attention, but then she would leave out the minor, yet rather important details. She had her reasons, of course, but knowing that gave little comfort.   


"Pluto made you her messenger boy, didn't she, Elios?" Mamoru conjectured.   


Elios nodded, "I'm afraid so."  


Mamoru had to chuckle, despite the seriousness of the situation. "Well, I guess someone had to do it. But before we go any further, I want to ask you a question. You know that Usako and I already know a little bit about our future. The Black Moon Clan and the ascension of Crystal Tokyo Is that what we're about to face?"  


Elios lowered his eyes and stared at the soft, green grass. A pensive expression came upon his face as he silently wondered where to begin. Oh, the dreadful beginnings In many novels, in many plays, the beginning was the hardest part to observe. Sometimes they were slow and dull, sometimes they showed a horrid past, and sometimes they foretold a horrid future But they always made you crave for the ending. Elios wanted to race to the ending, and if he could he wanted to save the Earthians from the tribulations to come. But he knew that was not possible. He was stuck with the message from Sailorpluto; there was no way he could ignore the beginning.  


"Within the next several months, this era will meet its fate." Elios spoke softly, though audible, his voice sounding much like an automaton wanting to rebel against his commands. "The Earth will be consumed by a shadow of darkness and a pestilence that will affect every person. There will be no way to stop it. Or at least, there is no way for you, Usagi-san, or the Sailor Senshi to stop it. Time will be both your salvation and your damnation. The only thing you will be able to do is wait until someone initiates the Great Freeze."   


Shingo raised an eyebrow. "The Great Freeze?" he repeated.  


"It is a period of frozen sleep brought upon an ancient Lunarian spell. And by saying that, it is technically a forbidden spell. But for a thousand years the Earth will be covered in a blanket of ice. All life will enter a state of hibernation until the destined Queen of Crystal Tokyo awakens and undoes the spell. And now I come to the message addressed to you, Tsukino-san."   


The blond straightened his back and paid closer attention.   


"I know very little about you, Tsukino-san. In fact, I know next to nothing. But you seem like a good person, and you seem to have a kind soul. And I will make the assumption that you are man who cares for his family, and that you're a man who seeks the truth. I've been asked to tell you that something will happen in the mere future, to you specifically. Perhaps it's already happened. But what you need to remember is that it isn't your fault. And once you realize what the truth is, you should do what you can to expose the truth and to protect those who will depend on you the most."   


Shingo suddenly felt as if a mighty fist had punched him in the stomach. "You mean my wife?" he feared.  


"Perhaps Or it could be someone else."  


"But there really isn't anyone else. I mean, not that Mika can't take care of herself, but you could say that we depend on each other. I can't go a day without at least sending her an email or talking to her on the phone." Shingo ran his fingers through his hair, feeling confused and now deeply worried over his Mika. He was beginning to understand what Usagi and Mamoru must have gone through during all those battles. "Look, I'm not cut out for the superhero life. I am no Superman. I don't have any special powers, I can't leap tall buildings I can't even climb a ladder because I *hate* heights. I don't have a former life, and from the sound of it, I may have a short future. I'm just your average Joe. So why me?"   


"I don't quite know, Tsukino-san. However" A small smile appeared on the priest's face. "Even a tiny mustard seed grows into a massive tree. So if that's possible, I'm certain that you are capable of more than you could ever imagine. Now" Elios stood up and brushed the grass and wrinkles from his robes. "It's time for you and Mamoru to return to the hotel.  


"What about that crazy woman?" Shingo wanted to know. "I'm not going back if she's still there."  


"You don't need to worry. She should no longer be a threat. My powers are used for healing a person's body, but sometimes they can be used on a person's mind. The lady should wake up in her hotel room with absolutely no memories of Tsukino-san."  


~*~*~  


Just like the priest said, Hoshino Atsuko couldn't remember anything concerning Shingo. However, she had the strangest sense of déjà vu. While she couldn't even remember visiting Stephen earlier that evening, a part of her screamed that she did. And another part of her screamed when she found out that Stephen was dead.  


Only Atsuko and Miguel received word that Stephen was dead. After the secret meeting that was held inside the Duke Chapel's Memorial Crypt, the Children of Mother Earth took their plane tickets and their backpacks and prepared themselves for their life's mission. Miguel was the last to depart. He left North Carolina two days after Stephen's death and headed for San Francisco, leaving Atsuko all alone.  


For Atsuko, there was no plane ticket, no last flight to a foreign country. She volunteered to stay in North Carolina, carrying out her assignment at the Raleigh-Durham International Airport. It wasn't one of the largest American airports, but it served its purpose; people came and went, and that was sufficient enough. As Atsuko entered one of the airport's rest rooms, she stepped inside one of the stalls and latched the door behind her. There was no call of nature, so to speak, but more of a need for privacy. She set her navy blue backpack on the floor by her feet, sat down on the toilet, and cried.  


Atsuko couldn't quite understand why she was crying. Perhaps it was because this would be the only time she could grieve over Stephen's death. She did love him. Despite the coldness, the neglect, and the abuse, Atsuko loved him. Stephen was the only man that ever paid her any kind of attention, at least by her standards. Or perhaps her tears were the cause of a newfangled guilt that pricked at her heartstrings. She did believe in the cause. There were so many people who depleted Mother Earth from all the precious gifts she provided her children, and so they needed to be punished. But the thought of innocent lives becoming victims had never really crossed her mind. Atsuko actually assumed she was more innocent than others (and Stephen -- Stephen was a saint!), but only because she was aware of the sins she committed against Earth. But when Stephen died, and when all members had parted ways, her moments of aloneness sparked her mind into a different mode of contemplation. What about the children? They could not understand or be held accountable for Mother Earth's misery. Was it worth knowing that millions of children would lose their parents and possibly die themselves? As Stephen had told her many times, sacrifices for the greater good always had to be made, but still It had to be worth it. Even if children died, even if babies weren't born, even if her unborn child was never born It was still worth it, right?   


The alarm on Atsuko's wristwatch started beeping. Throughout the southeastern region of the United States of America, on a Tuesday in February of 2005, all clocks struck midnight. The six thousand year ball was over, and so now it was the time for the wicked siblings to have their chance to shine, because Sleeper was being unleashed.  


Atsuko stood up and wiped the tears away from her eyes. She grabbed her backpack, unlatched the door, took one quick look in mirror, and exited the restroom. Even if it wasn't worth it, it was too late for her to back out. Atsuko knew death met her no matter what decision she made. So it was best to finish what she started. And if there was a God in Heaven, and if He was as forgiving as many people believed, maybe He could forgive her.  


Like all of the followers, Atsuko depended on her backpack. Inside each backpack was a change of clothing, several knick knacks and doodads of each follower's choice, and an aerosol hairspray can. Note the specific wording for the last object, for its significance is great. Each hairspray can was perfectly positioned and tightly strapped in place. None of its contents could be expelled except through a special opening; leaving the zipper about an inch unzipped served as the hole. It looked ordinary, harmless, but the contents were toxic. Atsuko casually tapped the hairspray can and listened carefully for a faint hissing sound. Soon the sound of Sleeper flowing out of her can was heard, and now she had five minutes to spread the disease around.  


She broke out into a quick jog and moved through the crowded airport, making sure she jogged by as many terminals as she possibly could. It wasn't an unusual sight to see someone hurrying to a terminal. To any close observer, Atsuko appeared as someone trying to catch their flight in time. And a closer observer would assume that she was also lost, for she weaved back and forth and really had no pattern in her movements. She just jogged from one terminal to another, not making a sound and not looking back. After all, she couldn't look back now.  


On that fateful night, Mamoru and Shingo sat in a waiting area by one of the terminals Atsuko neglected. Elios advised them to stay in North Carolina for the rest of the week, because that was their initial plan. He also considered it unwise to raise any suspicion amongst the Sailor Senshi, and Mamoru had to agree; the last thing he wanted was a pregnant wife asking him questions that he didn't have the answers to. But despite the advice, Shingo refused. Elios' words haunted him, and he just wouldn't feel safe until he was home with his wife. So when he and Mamoru returned to the Washington Duke Inn, Mamoru called the airlines and bought tickets to the next flight to Tokyo.  


Shingo had dozed off, using Mamoru's shoulder as a pillow. Mamoru had tried several times to move Shingo, but all attempts were futile. So he simply took Shingo's laptop out of its carrier bag and decided to play some Solitaire. Their flight to New York City (and then finally to home sweet home!) was going to be two hours late due to severe weather, so Mamoru had to do something to pass the time away.  


An annoying pop-up screen appeared once the laptop had loaded up. It read: YOUR FILE WAS SUCCESSFULLY DOWNLOADED. WOULD YOU LIKE TO OPEN IT? Below the message was the name of the file: SLEEPER.ZIP.   


Mamoru didn't want to go through anything private, so he clicked on "no" and went straight for the card game.  


By that time, the hairspray can in Atsuko's backpack was running on empty. Atsuko slowed down to a walking pace, satisfied with the amount of ground she covered. While she didn't visit that many gates, she'd certainly jogged past enough passengers to make sure that Sleeper was spread all over the world. Now at the end of her journey, she went back to the rest room from before. This time she sat down in the far corner and withdrew a small bag from her backpack. Inside the bag were the contents that a typical diabetic would own: an Acu-Check for monitoring blood sugar levels, a bottle of test strips, two unused syringes, and a bottle of insulin.  


Now, a keen observer who lived with diabetes would probably notice that the bottle of insulin was labeled incorrectly. The letters R and N were used to discern two different types of insulin, and neither letter could be seen. But for the followers who had to go through security and customs, it didn't really matter. It also didn't matter that the bottles were mislabeled, because they did not even contain insulin. Instead, they contained potassium chloride.   


Atsuko took a syringe, uncapped it, and stuck it through the rubber top of the insulin bottle. She withdrew approximately 100 milliliters and then placed the bottle back inside the bag. She tapped the syringe lightly to remove any air bubbles, even though poison was poison and it would kill no matter what. Then she looked away as she stuck the needle into her arm, never being one who liked shots.  


With her last moment of life, Atsuko took out a folded piece of paper from her pocket and placed it in her open palm. She then leaned against the wall, tucked her chin close to her chest, and closed her eyes  


Shingo woke up from his nap as Mamoru was putting his laptop back into its bag. The blond checked his watch and yawned. "Is it time yet?" he asked, referring to boarding onto the plane.  


"The plane arrived just a few minutes ago," Mamoru answered, standing up and stretching. "I think we can go ahead and board."  


"Hey did you mess with my computer?"  


"Maybe I had to do something while waiting."  


Shingo rolled his eyes, grabbed his carrier bag and headed towards the terminal. It was best that he kept all comments to himself, so he wouldn't say anything that he would regret later on. He wasn't mad at his brother-in-law; he was a mixture of being fatigued, frazzled, and homesick. All he wanted to do was go home.  


Mamoru sensed that was the reason behind Shingo's sour behavior, so he chose to give his brother-in-law some space. He slung his carry-on bag over his shoulder and purposely stayed a couple of feet behind Shingo as they walked to the terminal. He barely took notice of a twenty-something year-old woman who was heading in the same direction as he was, although Mamoru noticed her long enough to see how short she was. That made him think of Usagi, which made him realize that he felt the same way Shingo did.  


The two apparently entered into the own worlds. While the woman would admit to being clumsy at times, she wasn't gone to running into people. As she looked at the plane ticket in her hand, just to make sure she was headed for the right gate, she bumped into Mamoru, although how she didn't see a six-foot Japanese man was beyond her She dropped her ticket and carry-on bag, and when both she and Mamoru bent down to pick them up, their heads collided.   


"Itai"  


"Ow"  


Mamoru massaged the sore area as he asked, "Are you okay, ma'am?"  


The woman just smiled it off and said, "Don't worry. I'm as hardheaded as you can get." She picked up her planet ticket and thanked Mamoru as he handed her the carry-on bag. However, with her hands now full, the woman couldn't cover her mouth as she sneezed right in Mamoru's face.   


"Oh my goodness, I'm sorry about that," she apologized. "It's this darn weather. One day it feels like winter, and then the next it feels like summer."  


"Well I'm sure I've been exposed to far worse things"  


The woman apologized once more and hurried to her terminal, hoping the plane hadn't already taken off. Shingo had stopped to let Mamoru catch up with him, which meant he watched the entire incident. And unlike his brother-in-law, Shingo found it quite amusing. He was laughing under his breath when Mamoru arrived at the terminal.  


"What's so funny?" Mamoru inquired to know.  


Shingo grinned and pointed a finger at Mamoru's face. "Excuse me, but can I use you as a hankie?"  


"Don't even go there."  


"You know, I think she was trying to flirt with you. After all, you are somewhat of an attractive man."  


"She sneezed on me!"  


"Well, that was bad karma telling her that you're already taken."  


"Shingo, that doesn't make a bit of sense."  


Shingo glared at him. "Does everything I say have to make sense!?" he complained.  


Mamoru let out an annoyed groan and got in tie with the rest of the passengers. He wasn't about to start another argument with Shingo, especially when they would be home in a matter of hours. But despite that comforting thought, he knew it was going to be a long, long, long flight  


~*~*~  


_Turning and turning in the widening gyre  
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;  
Things fall apart, the centre cannot hold;  
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,  
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere  
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;  
The best lack all convictions, while the worst  
Are full of passionate intensity.  
Surely some revelation is at hand;  
Surely the Second Coming is at hand.  
The Second Coming! Hardly are those words out  
When a vast image of Spiritus Mundi  
Troubles my sight: somewhere in sands of the desert  
A shape with lion body and head of a man,  
A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun,  
Is moving its slow thighs, while all thought it  
Reel shadows of the indignant desert birds.  
The darkness drops again; but now I know  
That twenty centuries of stony sleep  
Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle  
And what rough beast, its hour come around at last,  
Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?  
_

_W. B. Yeats, "The Second Coming"_  


======  
End of Chapter Six  


07.09.03  


Disclaimer: Sailormoon and the characters of "Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon" are property of Takeuchi Naoko, Toei Animation, Kodansha, etc. "Sleeper" is inspired by the novel "The Most Important Little Boy in the World" written by Dean Briggs. It is property of the author and Word Publishing. I do not have ownership and I do not make any profits from the use of Sailormoon or the novel in this fan fiction.  


Author's Notes:  
First off, the title of this chapter was inspired by the anime .hack//SIGN. I have only seen one episode, but I absolutely fell in love with the music. The anime is good, too. Just kind of confusing And I'll have you know that I was listening to a lot of the music when writing some of these scenes.  


The last scenes that center on Atsuko were heavily influenced by the novel "The Most Important Little Boy in the World". In other words: somewhat similar scene, but there are some differences. And I have to say this, for I'm a paranoid woman and I don't want anyone to think I'm plagiarizing. But after this chapter, you will most definitely know that I am NOT plagiarizing. From here on out, if you've read the novel, you're going to wonder where in the world I got some of my idea And that's the way it should be, I think. This fan fiction was influenced by the novel, not based on it. And yes, people, there is a difference between the two. If you need someone to explain the difference, go ask your mom. ^^;  


Also, I have a confession to make. I broke one of my writing commandments: thou shalt not write a self-insert. But the woman who sneezes on Mamoru that was me. I know most people who write a self-insert hook themselves up with their favorite character or make themselves the hero, or at least their favorite character's best friend. But not me. No, I see myself doing something very realistic: embarrassing myself in front of a rather attractive man. I know, I have no self-esteem, but I'm going for realistic here, which reminds me  


I hope all of you are enjoying Shingo's role in this story. He is sort of my way of seeking revenge on all the bad self-inserts. How many of you have seen Fushigi Yuugi Eikoden? Well, Yuu Watase and the author of the novels that the OAV is based on got a lot of letters from fans that were along the lines of this: "I wish I could the priestess of Suzaku and have Tamahome all to myself!" And granted, I think all of us Tamahome fans have thought that, and us Mamoru fans but it is still annoying at times. So the author created Mayo (or is it Maya -- I can't remember) as a way of showing what would happen if someone went into the book world after all the priestess had been found. Shingo is my Mayo. I'm going to show all of you what will happen when an ordinary man is thrust into a different world. And this is a major feat for a character who was supposed to disappear after chapter three!  


Email: masked_maiden@hotmail.com  


Web Site: (a miracle romance)   



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